Wayward Streams of Blue
by ShiroiMatsu
Summary: AU "Be wise, Swordsman. Leave this place and don't challenge me. I do not wish to kill you." Kenshin blinked in surprise. He had caught the slightest hint of pain in the icy serpent's voice. The Cobra sounded almost rueful.
1. A Riverside Rescue

Wayward Streams of Blue 

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

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**by ShiroiMatsu**

Prologue: 

A Riverside Rescue; Here Begins the Tale of the Red-Haired Swordsman! 

The recent rains left low clouds of thick moisture that clung uncomfortably to his skin. His hair was matted to his sweaty brow, long enough to interfere with his vision. He could hear the waters of the river. Mud sucked on his sore feet, making a strange _scwelch_, but he gritted his teeth and trudged on. A little harmless moisture wasn't going to stop him.

He shook off the brown slop from his feet as the thick formation of trees slowly spread out to reveal the dark torrents of a swollen river. A large flat rock overlooked the tan waters, tipping into the unusually angry waters. It was this rock that had saved his life long ago. The young man allowed a small grin to slip across his face as memories of his childhood rose and bubbled with nostalgia.

For the past ten years on this day, he had visited this rock. It served as a reminder as why he was even here, living and breathing. And the day that he lost the one that he looked up to. The young man breathed deeply and exhaled with a large sigh. Though the thought still saddened him, he'd come to accept everything as it is. Now he was here with bright spirits, free of hatred and grief to pay his respects.

He climbed on top of the flat rock and tossed a few coins into the water. He hoped that the body lost within the river would find them and use them to find happiness in the afterlife. After a quick but heartfelt prayer, the young man turned to leave. He hopped to the ground and surveyed the water-swollen river one last time.

A flash of dark colors stood out from the light brown waters upstream. It rode the rough currents limply. Curiosity sparked the young man's interest. Without a second thought, he waded into the shallow icy waters, the battered currents doing little to his lithe body. When the object floated by with alarming speed, he intercepted it, allowing it to collide with his own. And nearly fell over and drowned when he realized what the dark object was.

A body.

He immediately dragged the unmoving figure to shore. Relief washed over him when he put his ear near the figure's face and heard faint but steady breathing. Then he proceeded to quickly rid the waterlogged figure of the large wet bag that contained it. The figure turned out to be a teenage boy with strange blood red tresses and a single slash scar on his cheek. When the suffocating bag was removed, he coughed and hacked up the mouthfuls of water that he had swallowed.

The young man studied the teenager as he checked his vital signs. He wore the high quality fabrics of a wealthy family, but he was no softy, judging from the calluses from the boy's hands. As the young man pried open the boy's eyes to check the dilated pupil (being around the Fox so much was getting to him, the young man had grumbled to himself), he found a strange violet color. The only piece of jewelry visible was a small intricate charm that the young man couldn't make head or tails of hanging from the boy's sash.

What was the son of an obviously wealthy family doing here?

The young man didn't want to know. The affairs of the wealthy were of no interest to him. Much too messy in his opinion. The teenage boy shivered slightly, bringing his savior out of his musings. Hesitant to involve himself in such affairs, and feeling the pressing need to be on his way, the young man took off his jacket and covered the boy. He knew that the teenager was only a little bit waterlogged and will be fine when he woke up. The boy could obviously defend himself, and this area was surround by many towns full of kind people. The humid air and his jacket will keep him warm. Just to safe, the young man also tucked a small dagger into the red-haired boy's hand.

Sanosuke stood after doing so.

"Keep yourself safe, kid," he told the crimson-haired teenager as he turned to disappear into the forest that kept this section of the river well hidden. Sanosuke shook off his strange sense of déjà vu; something about the boy seemed to be eerily familiar. Unknown to the fighter-for-hire, the small intricate charm he found on the slender redhead had somehow lodged itself firmly onto the one of the bandages that bound his right ankle, twinkling innocently in the light.

Some time later, a black clothed figure approached the resting figure of the red-haired boy and searched him frantically. Not finding what he was looking for, the figure cursed violently and disappeared just as quickly.

As the last warm red glows disappeared over the green hills that guarded the clearing, the long lashes of the river's victim began to flutter. As he opened his large violet eyes he slowly and painfully righted himself up. Confusion shone in his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings and noted the foreign dagger he held.

"Where am I?" he wondered and tilted his clear eyes skyward as he searched his mind for clues. Suddenly, his eyes widened with horror as realization struck him and the dagger fell from his hand, limp with shock. The young boy slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands.

"I…can't remember…anything…"


	2. The Dragon and the Serpent

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin? Never even met the guy (sniff). Let it be known, I know what I own. (Corny, I know…)

ShiroiMatsu: While I was working on "Blessing of the Cursed" I found a draft of this chapter from a while back. It seemed like a good idea to do two fics; in case of a bad writer's block, I can work on the other. So I polished it up and here it is! Please do enjoy!

P.S: WE ARE IN ANCIENT CHINA IN THIS A/U FIC!!!

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**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

Chapter 1:

_The Dragon and the Serpent; Enemies Upon First Sight_

The burning afternoon sun glared down on the busy street. Despite the heat, hundreds of people milled about the shops and stalls that lined down the gray cobblestone street, searching for their daily supplies. Few paid attention to the immense warmth that was being soaked into their dark hair, the yellow light being stippled in only a few places by the rare graceful willow. The voices of old and young, male and female mingled into one loud hum. Occasionally, one could hear a the voice of a vender or shop owner yell out above the hustle and bustle to advertise their products.

Not everyone ignored the sweltering weather either. The cool shade of all shops and restaurants were taken advantage of. The Akabeko, in particular, was teeming with people yelling for _juo_ [Chinese word for 'wine'] and other cool drinks. The upstairs of the Akabeko was almost completely deserted, starkly contrasting the level below it; seeing that nobody wanted to sleep in such weather. [1]

Kenshin entered the already crowded restaurant. He seated himself at a table tucked back into a corner and gestured for a nearby brunette girl that worked there to serve him some _juo_. The best _juo_ in town was served quickly and efficiently. Kenshin took a long drought of the heavenly coolness and sighed with relief.

Finally, he was free. Even if it was just the day off, Kenshin never knew that he could be so grateful. Thank God for night shifts. A person could only go so far for money. Not to say that he wasn't glad for the large amount of money he got paid for his job; his previous situation in this town had been far less favorable…

> _flashback_

Several Months Ago… 

_He was scared. He couldn't remember anything at all, not even his own name. The people milling about on the street stared at him as if he were some kind of freak. The boy didn't blame them. He resembled a wet cat. A red wet cat with violet eyes. Though he was far from being cold, his clothes were still damp and hung awkwardly. His bright red hair and strange purple eyes stood out of the crowd like the moon on a starless night sky._

_As the young boy passed an alleyway, he caught a glimpse of several large men leering at him. Unnerved, he quickened his pace down the busy street. The boy dodged the palanquin of a wealthy man and began to run when he saw the thugs behind him. The thick masses of the crowd slowed the boy down immensely. He was of slender build and very short, unlike the huge men chasing him that parted the people easily. _

_The thugs quickly caught up to the boy. He felt the hard jerk on his collar and found himself dangling in the air. The boy struggled, kicking and punching in vain. The obvious leader of the gang laughed and pushed his ugly face close to the boy's._

_"Well, what do we have here? A little pretty boy, eh? Give me all the valuables on ye and I might just spare yer life…" he smirked, the rancid breath of the leader smacking the boy in the face like a wet fish. The boy twisted and turned, desperately searching for someone in the crowd to help him. The people that formed a large circle around them stared at them blankly, some with worry on their faces. Nobody stepped forward. _

_Fights breaking out on the street were a common occurrence. Few dared to interfere with them. The thugs carried swords, signifying that they had some knowledge of martial arts. A large part of the people in this era did, though some better than others. _

_"Let go of me!" the boy gasped, trying to push down the panic that bubbled in him. "I don't have any money!" The leader wasn't pleased. _

_"No money? That's a laugh. Yer one of those rich brats. And wats wid this necklace, eh?" The leader grinned as he closed his fist around the gold coin that hung almost hidden from a simple string. With a hard laugh, the leader dropped the boy unceremoniously on the ground and drew his sword. The boy leap out of the way clumsily just in time to avoid the sharp blade. His breath came in short gasps and his wide purple eyes dilated even more from panic. The leader smirked and kicked aside the small dagger that fell from the boy's robes. The thugs surrounded the boy, grinning with grim intent. He was way outnumbered. There was no escape. _

_Somewhere in the blind fog of panic within his mind, a small part of the boy screamed at him to fight back. They took that coin necklace. He couldn't grasp it in words, but that necklace meant something to him. And he had to get it back. Closing his mind to all logical reasoning, the boy allowed pure instinct to take over. He lunged with a snarl at one of the thugs. The huge man flew back in surprise as the boy wrenched the sword away from him with amazing strength and speed. A quick strike to the head with the sheathed weapon and the thug was out cold. With the coin necklace retrieved, the boy turned to the rest of the group. His eyes glowed a feral amber color. _

_"Get him!" the leader roared. The gang charged, swords drawn. The boy drew his sword and faced the attacking gangsters._

_"Hiten Mitsuurugi Ryu, Dou Ryu Sen!!" the redhead roared, the strange words coming out on their own. The dirt dragon created by the powerful move sent the gang flying down the street. The boy stood there for several moments as the thoroughly frightened thugs ran, before sinking down to the ground with relief. Slowly, his golden eyes faded back to innocent purple. The crowd around him dispersed, quickly going back to their business. _

_Then a large shadow fell over the boy. He looked up to see a squat wealthy man, obvious by the state of his attire. Light gray streaks decorated his hair, the arrogance in his eyes flagrant proof of what the wealthy class was slowly coming to._

_"Lad, you fight extremely well. I've an offer for you." The boy nodded slowly for the middle-aged man to continue as he stood up. _

_"You look like you need a place to stay and a job. How about you become one of my bodyguards? It pays very well and you're also provided with shelter and food." The boy almost snorted. The cowardly man just wanted to make sure he stayed safe from harm. He answered after quick consideration._

_"I accept your kind offer," he said. The wealthy man smiled greasily at the boy. _

_"I'm Koba Jin," he said. The boy smiled gently at the frog-like man. With a quick glance at the words carved onto the sheath the sword in his hand, the boy replied._

_"Kenshin. Himura Kenshin."_

> _end flashback_

Koba-san was a surprisingly fair employer. Kenshin found him tolerable, when he wasn't whining and clinging to the bodyguard like Kenshin was his lifeline. However, his daughter was another story. The clingy(er) and spoiled girl had immediately targeted Kenshin as her new interest. She was terrifyingly persistent. Kenshin shook his head to rid himself any thoughts of her. Shudder.

More people entered the restaurant to escape the blaring heat. Kenshin raised an eyebrow briefly at one of them. He wore all black. A light wide-brimmed bamboo hat covered with a large black veil concealed his face. A long black over-robe with short flaring sleeves cropped close to the upper arm hung open to reveal the diagonal lines of his inner attire. It was a simple, and black, long sleeved robe that fell loosely to his ankles. Slits on the robe on the side ran up to his sash to reveal dark pants loosely bound to the ankle by black clothe boots. Long straight black hair fell to the small of his back. Even the sword he held was black. This guy was crazy.

The man in black strode gracefully and surely to an empty table near Kenshin. He placed his sword on the table and gestured for some _juo_, without a single word. His every little movement was filled with grace and confidence. The man's back was ramrod straight and he downed the cup with one quick gulp. Many of the occupants in the room gave the man fearful looks. Probably one of those tightwad no-nonsense types. There was something vaguely familiar about the black robes, but Kenshin dismissed it.

He quickly lost interest in this strange black clothed man and turned back to his own _juo_. Kenshin sipped several more cups as he once began his search through his mind for his past. He realized that his memories were slowly returning these past few months. Very slowly, however. He still had yet to recall his true name. After a fruitless search, probing through every crevice in his mind, Kenshin gave up again, hoping that another day will bring back more memories. His fingers were numb from fingering his coin necklace anyways [Ancient Chinese coins had holes in the middle]. Then he heard it.

The eerie metallic ring of a sword being drawn.

Kenshin's closed eyes snapped open towards the entrance of the Akabeko as his hand went instinctively to the sword at his side. Just in time to see the man in black brutally slash open the throat of a peasant man.

Crimson blood, still warm from movement once within living veins, splattered across the room. Screams of the bystanders in the room rang in his ears. Kenshin leaped to his feet and approached to the scene of the kill, eyes wide with shock and horror. The black clothed man's act was horrendously cruel. The drunk peasant had obviously only accidentally bumped into him when he was leaving the restaurant, he had no right to kill him for such an inconsiderable act. Slowly, rage began to bubble and froth inside the red haired swordsman.

The black clothed man calmly cleaned his stained sword on the corpse's garment and sheathed his sword. He airily ignored the fearful and angry gazes around him as he turned over the corpse, leaning over as if to check if the cut his sword made was good enough to pass his standard. After giving a curt approving nod, he turned and left the hysterical room.

The Akabeko's employees rushed around to calm the disturbed mass of people and return the popular restaurant to some semblance of normality. Kenshin looked around him. Everyone was horrified, yet somehow not scared and horrified enough. The swordsman had a feeling that the brutal slaughter of that drunk today was a common occurrence. Faint streaks of amber gradually burned away violet as Kenshin caught the sleeve of a young girl that worked at the Akabeko.

"Who was that?" he asked, watching the doorway as two people took away the body. The brunette sighed gently, as if she tired of the many times she had to explain the man in black's identity to hotshot martial artists.

"No one knows his real name, but many call him Cobra. He's a regular here and already killed at least seven people here," she explained mechanically. When Kenshin opened his mouth to inquire further, she quickly added,

"No one knows where he currently resides and every person that had tried to tail him are either missing or still in a coma." Kenshin nodded, thanking her for the information. He couldn't stand to allow such a killer to hurt more innocent people and bring about more situations like his own…

> _flashback_

_He couldn't see anything. The darkness shrouded him like a suffocating and deadly embrace. Where could he run? How can he defeat the insidious poison within that blinded his senses?_

_His lungs burned as he gasped painfully for air. He felt the sharp burns of protruding branches that he couldn't see as they whipped onto his face and arms. Footsteps pounded behind, coming closer and closer, yet his originally fine-tuned senses could not distinguish their ki. It was all just pitch-blackness. They wanted to hurt him, but he escaped. Now they're searching for him._

_A rush of air against his sweating face told him to stop. The rumbling of roaring water could be felt underneath his throbbing feet. Tentatively, he felt the area before him with one foot. A cliff. The only way was to jump._

_The fine hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up. Animal instinct could never be completely deadened. He whipped around, tilting his chin in defiance despite his trembling knees. He could **feel** his pursuers' smirks. Suddenly, cloth surrounded him, limiting his air and movements. He fought back with almost a feral fervor, landing wild kicks and punches wherever he could reach. Grunts of pain rewarded his desperation and he felt himself released from his pursuers' holds. He felt relief wash over his pounding heart as he fell away from them to the ground._

_But there was no ground._

_He felt the rush of air as his fall gained momentum as the crashing of the turbulent waters below become stronger and more menacing. Icy cold knives plunged into his body followed by a sudden burst of pain._

_Then nothing…_

> _end flashback_

How he ended up half drowned was all he could recall before he awoke to find his memories gone. Determined, Kenshin turned to leave after a set the pay for his wine down. A tug on his sleeve halted him at the door, and he turned to the brunette waitress.

"Please don't go after Cobra just because you wish to prove how strong you are. You don't look like you're the type to try something so stupid for just to boost your ego, Mr. …er…" The little waitress fidgeted in discomfort after she said something so outspoken. The young swordsman smiled gently. She was concerned enough about Kenshin's well being to act past her painful timidity.

"Himura, Himura Kenshin," he introduced himself with a small bow. The brunette ducked her head.

"I'm Tsubame…" she mumbled.

"Tsubame-san, I am glad that you wish no harm upon me, but I hope you will understand that I wish there will be no more unjustified killing," Kenshin gently explained to the kind-hearted waitress. "I must try to dissuade the Cobra from these wanton slaughters." Tsubame nodded worriedly and gave Kenshin a small smile. He wasn't a hotheaded hotshot that was searching an ego boost, but something much deeper.

"I apologize for keeping you, Himura-san. Please take care of yourself, though. He's much like that…Hitokiri Battousai…" Tsubame trailed off as she bowed respectfully and returned into the restaurant inn. Kenshin smiled gratefully as he acknowledged her advice. He's heard of the Hitokiri Battousai, the feared assassin who had mysteriously disappeared recently.

"You as well, Tsubame-san." With that, he tightened his leg muscles and sprung up on the roof with an explosive burst of energy. The roofs in the Chinese city layout conveniently provided for one of the most, if not the most, efficient way of transport for martial artists, seeing that the people of the streets were very lethargic when it can to making way. Kenshin hardly gave himself time to right his precarious balance on the wavy shingles before rushing off towards the direction of the black assassin's well-hidden ki.

It was disturbingly quiet along the forest path that Kenshin followed. Birds made themselves scarce, as if anticipating bad happenings. All the forest animals quieted the hum of life to an absolute minimum. Only the hollow swish of wind among the thick bamboo and the scuff-scuff of his soft shoes kept the red-haired swordsman company in this cloak of dread silence. The Cobra's ki now blared with a glowing indigo in Kenshin's senses, an obvious sign that he was awaiting the boy in the clearing up ahead.

"Greetings. You had me waiting, Swordsman," came the icy voice of Cobra when Kenshin slipped through the guarding foliage of the clearing. He sat on a large stone in the middle of the clearing with his back to Kenshin. The redhead nearly dropped his sword in shock; the Cobra sounded no more than sixteen! Kenshin narrowed his eyes and pushed back the anger that bubbled even higher in his chest. Probably some hotshot boy who killed for the fun of it.

"I apologize for the wait," Kenshin replied coolly. Cobra turned around and casually propped one of his feet on the rock he sat upon, projecting the perfect image of indifference to the world.

"Ah, finally a polite challenger," Cobra exclaimed mockingly as he gestured to the entire expanse of the open area with the arm that wasn't propped on his bent knee.

"The others were intolerable idiots, putting it mildly." Kenshin followed the sweeping motion of Cobra's arm and then finally noticed the numerous little wooden tombstones that dotting the edge of the clearing. Icy blue began to seep its way into Kenshin's wide eyes as he growled, not stopping to consider the decency that the Cobra had to even take the time to bury the bodies.

"You …bastard…" Kenshin hissed furiously.

_So…many innocent lives…just like the Hitokiri Battousai…_ The Cobra signed dramatically and covering his face with a hand under the black veil.

"And here I thought I finally got to fight a swordsman whose manners hasn't gone down the drain…" he lamented with cold sarcasm. Kenshin made himself ready to attack, balancing on the balls of his feet. Something about this Cobra seriously pissed him off. And he didn't even know why.

Cobra looked up from his hand to the red-haired swordsman. Then he sighed again with a small shake of his head, this time in earnest, as if he were trying to shake off the burden of the world from his slender shoulders. His icy arrogant air seemed to flicker like a candle in a breeze.

"Be wise, Swordsman. Leave this place and don't challenge me. I do not wish to kill you." Kenshin blinked in surprise. He had caught the slightest hint of pain in the icy serpent's voice. The Cobra sounded almost rueful. However, Kenshin ignored his words after the thought the surrounding tombstones and his hand hovered over the sword by his hip again.

"You killed that man without any regrets!" he snarled back. A small breeze whipped through the clearing, lifting the dark gauzy material that hid Cobra's face. Kenshin glimpsed the smirk that curved the Cobra's lips. It was a purely heartless smirk; one that screamed at him in capital letters 'I. Don't. Give. A. Damn.'

"I won't lie…" the Cobra began in a long drawl. The rest of his sentence fell upon deaf ears as Kenshin's warrior blood roared in his ears, overpowering all sound save the harsh pounding of his heart.

Amber eyes narrowed, and Kenshin's figure disappeared with a blur as he charged.

Cobra tilted his head down and smoothly drew his sword. He stood and raised his blade just in time to meet Kenshin's angry steel from above with a harsh clang. The redhead jumped back, spared the black figure an icy glare and blurred into nothing again.

The Cobra spun quickly into the air, black fabric flying about his body like an ornery swarm of wasps. He kicked off a nearby thick bamboo stalk and ran airborne across the clearing [2]. Kenshin appeared nanoseconds later, pushing off from the same bamboo stalk Cobra was on. His blood red hair waved about his burning amber eyes, giving the swordsman the look of the very Devil himself. Kenshin's speed increased as he pushed his ki even further, bringing him gradually inches within sword range to the airborne Cobra in front of him. If Cobra was unnerved, he gave no sign.

Abruptly, the Cobra stopped running and allowed himself to plummet to the ground below. He landed gracefully with hardly a thump as his lithe body folded to completely absorb the impact. Kenshin quickly rebounded off another bamboo stem and followed his target, his sword aimed at the Cobra's soft throat. The black assassin dodged with a deft motion of his veiled head and readied his silver blade for a second attack of the redhead's biting sword. Only it didn't come.

**BAMACK!**

Kenshin allowed a smug grin to dawn on his face as he landed a powerful spin kick to the Cobra's jaw, sending the limp black figure flying back in a high curving arc.

_The impact will knock him unconscious for a month_, Kenshin thought. The Cobra's sword was sent clattering on the ground as it flew from his hand. The redhead triumphantly watched as the unmoving figure approached the hard ground in slow motion. Falling.

> Falling…

> > > falling…

Suddenly, in a flash of silver, another blade made itself known in Cobra's hands. Kenshin stared dumbfounded as the Cobra brought the blade above his head, pointed at the ground.

_He faked it!_ At the moment, he landed, all the impact finding itself on the tip of the bending sword. The thin strip of metal leaned and curved, the hilt of the blade almost meeting the ground. Then with a sharp chink, the sword protested and fought back violently to the abuse as it sprang back to its original straight length. The force built up behind the Cobra's momentum in the blade sent the Cobra spinning horizontally back at Kenshin with "ungodly" speed, the furious blade at his side singing a haunting song of doom.

Kenshin barely escaped the flurry of attacks of Cobra's spinning sword with his arms and legs intact, receiving numerous wounds.

_I just can't seem to read that bastard correctly!_ Kenshin growled to himself. He gritted his teeth against the burning of the thin cuts and escaped into the air.

"I did warn you, Himura."

Kenshin froze at the Cobra's icy voice behind his right ear, the small hairs on his neck standing up. He felt the callused tips of the Cobra's fingers tapping several points on his neck. Before Kenshin could recognize the slight actions as a nerve tap, numbness had begun to overtake his body. As the struggling redhead fought to remain conscious, Cobra carried him to the ground below unceremoniously on his slender shoulder and set him on the grass in a heap.

"Whad did oo do!?" Kenshin cried angrily as he fought to control his tongue and mouth. He glared at where the Cobra's eyes should be behind the black veiled hat. The black clad swordsmaster said nothing for several moments. Finally, he replied with a long arrogant drawl.

"Fight me again when you've mastered your sword art. We'll meet again, Himura…" Cobra's words faded away to Kenshin as he finally gave in to the overpowering numbness and slipped into nothingness. Cobra sighed as he sat next the redhead's limp body.

"Even though you've hardly learned your art, you still manage to stay awake for so long after my nerve tap. I'm glad that core of strength hasn't faded yet." The Cobra said wistfully as he gently cleaned some of Kenshin's worst wounds as a caring older brother would care for his younger sibling. He took pulled up a clump of a small grass-like plant growing by the rock and crumpled it until a sticky juice emerged from between the cracks of his hand. The small drops fell down on Kenshin's bleeding cuts, almost instantaneously stopping the flowing blood. When Cobra was satisfied with his work, he picked up and set him upon his shoulder and began walking smoothly back to town.

"You must understand, I cannot allow you to kill me yet. I still have much to do in this world."

end chapter 1

[1]- Most inns in ancient China would have the inn part upstairs, and the restaurant portion downstairs

[2] - Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon martial arts here.

Notes:

- Kenshin seems a little short-fused (okay, make that very short-fused) I meant to portray a cross between Rurouni and Battousai. I think I over-did the Battousai-temper bit. Before anyone flames me, take into consideration that I'm a big supporter of Kenshin starting out really pathetic and then growing into his part rather than coming in with a big bang. I dunno why, I just think it's cool that way.

- Kenshin did lose his memory, of course he wouldn't remember if he's the feared Hitokiri Battousai.

- I love the ancient China history. Maybe it has something to do me watching all those Chinese action movies/series where people fly with all their kung-fu powers (pronounced Chi-Gong, literally meaning 'air power' heh). My family has quite of few of those. KA-POWY!!!

– From use of 'chi-gong' Chinese martial artists can supposedly run on air, fragile things [like leaves], water, and gravitize themselves to walls. Which is not possible. Chinese movie people just like to make it so, and then it would look better. 'Chi-gong' does exist, just the real thing is horribly disappointing compared to movie magic. Think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon martial arts for the actions scenes.

Click the wittle blue button to write a review and I'll love you forever!


	3. The Recovery

Disclaimer: Okay, get this straight. Me. No. Own. Kenshin. Kaoru does. grin (and that author dude too…{no offense meant to the great deity Nobuhiro Watsuki})

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

"Even though you've hardly learned your art, you still manage to stay awake for so long after my nerve tap. I'm glad that core of strength hasn't faded yet." The Cobra said wistfully as he gently cleaned some of Kenshin's worst wounds as a caring older brother would care for his younger sibling. He took pulled up a clump of a small grass-like plant growing by the rock and crumpled it until a sticky juice emerged from between the cracks of his hand. The small drops fell down on Kenshin's bleeding cuts, almost instantaneously stopping the flowing blood. When Cobra was satisfied with his work, he picked up and set him upon his shoulder and began walking smoothly back to town.

"You must understand, I cannot allow you to kill me yet. I still have much to do in this world…"

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Chapter 2:

_The Recovery; A Time of Conflicts and Haunting Memories_

_Chains…Why am I in chains? Kenshin struggled to move his limbs. The heavy chains weighed him down. Mud sucked on his bleeding bare feet, interfering with his mobility even more._

_"Stand up straight!" A loud crack of a whip sounded behind him, followed by a sharp cry of pain. Kenshin turned around. Long lines of dirty haggard people greeted his sight, struggling to stand up under the blows of a vicious whip. Passersby turned their heads in pity while others exchanged money with the traders and took a wretch from the line of chained beggars. He was chained to this line. He was a…_

_…slave… …I don't understand…_

_"At least try te look strong, or else yer won' get bought!"_

_Ah… we're being sold..._

_Kenshin looked around him. He was small again, perhaps a five year old. He couldn't recall why he was here, the fog upon his mind still thick as ever. Then a bright blue kimono appeared at the corner of his vision. He looked up, still in a daze._

_"Hi! I'm Kaoru. What's your name?" A smiling little girl with bright blue eyes introduced herself as she bowed. Kenshin felt his eyes widen on their own accord in surprise he didn't feel himself. Someone actually bowed to him. He shyly returned the smile, afraid to meet this girl's eyes._

_I don't know my name…but it's nice to meet you, Kaoru…_

_"Shinta," Kenshin heard his younger self whisper._

_Shinta…was that my name?_

_Kaoru scooted closer to him, as if she were inspecting him to buy. Kenshin caught the wafting aroma of a steamed bun._

_"You're hungry, aren't you, Shinta? Here," she discretely handed him a large white bun, wrapped in gray clothe to hide it. Shinta stared at her. Kenshin looked at her curiously._

_"Quickly, eat it!" she hissed at him. The gnawing pain in his abdomen won over and Shinta began to wolf down the delicious bread. Kenshin noticed the two slave girls on either side of Shinta had stepped forward the slightest bit, shielding the unknowing redhead from the malicious eyes of the slave traders. Kaoru hovered around him still 'inspecting' the dirty and skinny boy. _

_Shinta smiled at Kaoru gratefully as he finished the white bread, feeling better than he had for days on. After scanning the area for prying eyes, the kindhearted girl gripped his slender hands in her own chubby ones._

_"Fight for your heart, Shinta. Fight as hard as you can," she whispered, her sincere blue eyes boring in Shinta's own violet ones._

_"Kaoru! Have you picked which slave you want to buy yet?" a loud booming voice rang over the crowds._

_"I have, Father!" Kaoru yelled back. She sadly turned back towards Shinta, trying to avoid his hopeful look._

_"I'm sorry, I can't take you away from this horrible place. Duty comes first…" She gave his hands one last squeeze and ran further down the line to a spiky haired boy called Sanosuke. Shinta smiled slightly when he saw Kaoru's choice and swallowed his disappointment with more ease. Sanosuke had confided in him about the Sekihoutai's plans to rescue one of their youngest members. Shinta closed his small fingers around the round coin Kaoru had slipped to him as her father led both Sanosuke and Kaoru away. Kaoru turned her head and gave him one final smile._

_Kenshin saw Kaoru's father glance at him, then nodding to a tall arrogant man wearing a large red and white cape._

"Himura-san?"

Kenshin's eyelids fluttered open, his violet gaze unfocused. That voice…it's familiar… A blurry face hovered over his own. He slowly sat up, sore from the past fight. The face moved away respectfully. A dream…I can't seem to remember…"Fight for your heart?"…

Fight!

Anger quickly expelled all form of daze from Kenshin's system. He leaped off the bed, hardly sparing a glance at the person who watched him. Kenshin flung open the door and made to exit. Then a strong hand grasped his arm, pulled him inside the room, and led him firmly back towards the bed.

"Himura-san, please get dressed before you go out and try to get your read end kicked into High Heaven again," came the dry voice of a young girl. Kenshin looked down and finally realized his state of undress. He immediately scampered back into bed under the covers with a small 'oro'.

"Thank you," the girl sighed as she turned around and uncovered her eyes. Kenshin peeked out from under the covers.

"I apolo…OROOOOOOOOOO!!!" His apology transformed itself into a shriek of terror as Kenshin got a full look of the girl's face. Kenshin backed away from her haphazardly, only entangling himself even more in the covers. The girl looked immensely confused for several moments, before she finally noted the reason for his bloodcurdling shriek.

"Oh. Sorry about this," she grinned sheepishly as she quickly dipped a rag in a nearby basin of water and scrubbed furiously at her face.

"All better!" she cheerily declared after several minutes of scrubbing. She turned to Kenshin, most of her face clean of the hideous white rice powder and tacky blue eye shadow she had used in an attempt to apply make-up. Kenshin sighed with relief.

"Miss, I sincerely apologize. I didn't realize I was undressed…" he finally stated after his pounding heart returned to a normal pace. The girl smiled, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. She waved away his apology. Kenshin mentally shook off his feeling of déjà vu; the girl's blue eyes and smile tugged almost painfully at his heart.

"Nah, don't worry about it, Himura-san. One of the male employees of the Akabeko took care of the bathing and clothing aspects of your care. I think he forgot to dress you since we called for breakfast then. So I didn't see anything private. And it is pretty easy to miss." At this, Kenshin's eyebrow twitched. The girl continued on, unaware of her implied insult.

"Besides, you have been unconscious for a couple days now. Anyone would be out of it."

Kenshin stared at her. His job!

"How long have I been unconscious?" he asked with disbelief.

"Four days." The blue-eyed girl replied casually.

"But don't worry, I covered your night shifts for you," she quickly added at the sight of Kenshin's horrified look. Kenshin sighed again with relief; silently doubting how much more shock his poor heart can take. Then he tensed just as quickly. Something was off…

"Wait, how did you know that I was a bodyguard?" he inquired suspiciously after the whole situation sank in. Boy, did he have questions. The girl raised a slender eyebrow and brandished a small wooden plaque with Kenshin's name and his employment information carved upon it.[1]

"Oh." Kenshin felt rather idiotic, but immensely relieved. Good, she wasn't a stalker (unlike a certain someone with long hair and lives in Koba Jin's house and who is way too clingy and squeals like a dying pig and….yeah….). Phew.

"Kaoru-chan! What happened?!" Tae cried as she suddenly burst in with a broom held menacingly in her hands, interrupting any further questions Kenshin had. She searched the small room for intruders with narrowed eyes. Kenshin thought he even heard a small growl from the usually gentle woman.

"I just came back from shopping and one of the customers told me they heard a woman scream up here and sounds of struggling…" she trailed off as Kaoru pointed to the inadequately dressed redhead wrapped up in covers and the remaining rice powder on her face.

"You forgot to take off the makeup you put on earlier didn't you?" Tae asked as she set her broom down. Kaoru nodded.

"You seem to be putting on lot of make-up lately; must be some strange new trend… Sorry for the interruption. Next time Himura-san, please don't scream like that. You'll scare the customers…you two can carry on whatever that you're doing," Tae said with a smile, her broom perfectly innocent by her side as she scooted out the room. Kaoru and Kenshin stared after her.

"Kaoru, is it? I'm sorry for not asking your name when we first met. My name is Himura Kenshin, as you probably already know," Kenshin finally said. Kaoru…have I known a person with that name before…? Kenshin shook his head slightly. He was sure he's known a female Kaoru before.

"Kamiya. Kamiya Kaoru, nice to meet you," Kaoru said with a kind smile as she bowed. Kenshin returned the bow, though awkwardly, as he was tangled up in the covers and sitting on a bed.

"Nice to meet you too." He paused for several moments.

"Kamiya-san, I had some questions about the past couple days before Tae-san …erm…"

"Barged in like a rabid rhino?" Kaoru finished for him, "Don't mind Tae, she's been overprotective ever since Cobra came and dumped you here. You probably want to know what's going on anyways."

* * *

_Tsubame fidgeted as sat on the front steps to the Akabeko. Her worried brown eyes searched the waning crowds of people. Still no flash of red hair._

_"Tsubame, you need to come in now before you catch a cold," Tae called as she tidied the tables and chairs within. The Akabeko already seemed as if no murder had come to be at all. Tsubame sighed as small crystals appeared at the corners of her eyes._

_"I still haven't even seen a glimpse of Himura-san. What if Cobra killed him, Tae? Himura-san is one of the few nice customers we have…" Tae smiled sadly at Tae as she scanned the dark streets._

_"We'll just have to wait and see. You do know that most martial artists prefer to use the roofs for transportation. Maybe Himura-san already defeated the Cobra and is…" she broke off with a sharp gasp. Tsubame followed her line of sight._

_The entire street had turned deathly still quiet. Cobra calmly walked down the street, paying no attention to the fearful looks as the crowds parted for the swordsman. On his shoulder, sat a limp red-haired figure. Cobra moved as if he were carrying no more than just a small baby. He loomed darkly over Tae as he stopped in front of her. She quickly stepped to the side and allowed him entrance into the Akabeko._

_Cobra walked up to the nearest table and with a sweep of his free arm, sent everything set on the table crashing on the far wall. As he set Kenshin's unconscious body on the cleared table, bystanders at the door winced and hurried on their way despite their morbid curiosity; Cobra was in a bad mood. And they liked their heads where they are. Tsubame and Tae quickly followed into the Akabeko. There must be a reason why the Cobra chose this restaurant inn out of all the others in town. They kept a respectful distance as the Cobra turned towards them._

_"I like this boy," he drawled icily. "It's been a while since somebody could really fight me and pose a challenge." Cobra pinned Tae with a curt nod._

_"He is to stay here as long as he must to heal properly; I wish to fight him again." The black clad man tossed a handful of gold coins on the table._

_"Good day," the black serpent sneered with a final gesture of his head and turned to leave, his black robes swirling like the clouds of a starless night._

_"I challenge you, Cobra! This is the last time you've hurt somebody!" Kaoru cried as she stepped from her place in the corner shadows, her bokken brandished. Tae took one look at her and nearly choked on the very air she breathed. Cobra turned around. His usually cool and calm air nearly completely banished itself as he almost allowed himself to double over in silent laughter._

_White powder covered the entirety of Kaoru's oval face, putting the coloring of the whitest snow to shame. Her full lips were smothered with dark red lipstick, the red contrast with white causing the lips to resemble that of a kissing fish. Round spots of hot pink were drawn on her cheeks, the borders of pink and white powder distinctively recognizable. Sky blue eye shadow found itself covering Kaoru's eyelids and lashes. The light blue hid her beautiful sapphire eyes, giving her a permanent case of the squints._

_Kaoru narrowed her eyes, her skillful grip on her bokken tightening. She crouched and shifted to the balls of her feet. Cobra managed to compose himself enough to draw his sword. With nary a sound, Kaoru attacked with a flying leap straight at Cobra. All laughter died from his lips as he raised his sword and countered with quick flashes of silver._

_Kaoru flew past him and skidded to a stop, facing her opponent. A cut opened itself as a small gush of blood sprouted from her upper right arm. Cobra had executed the attacks so quickly that no stain of red even lingered on his blade. Kaoru ignored it with but a small wince of pain and turned the full blow of her daggered eyes to the black serpent. The two glared at each other for several endlessly long moments. Abruptly, Cobra sheathed his sword._

_"I have nothing against you, little girl. Be grateful I'm a good mood today." Nothing else said, but so much more understood, Cobra exited the Akabeko._

* * *

"You challenged Cobra?" Kenshin asked, his jaw surrendering itself to gravity. Kaoru threw him a daggered look.

"I do know how to use a sword, thank you very much," she sniffed indignantly. Kenshin studied her. He had never really noticed the graceful way her lithe body moved. Even the many folds of her Chinese outfit couldn't properly hide that aspect of Kaoru. Though not one of the best, her ki danced powerfully for that of an average martial artist.

"I do admit it was very foolish of me," Kaoru admitted with a small sigh. "But you looked like you died and I just **can't** STAND THE ACTIONS OF THAT COBRA!" The latter part she growled loudly as she leaped to her feet from her chair besides Kenshin, slamming her hand on to the table besides her. At the condescendingly amused look upon his face, Kaoru quickly added furiously:

"And I did manage to hit him, just the results weren't as noticeable as his were. I felt my bokken impact." With a huff, she turned and gathered Kenshin's folded and washed clothes from the table next to her. She threw them into Kenshin's chest with more force than necessary and stomped off, an angry flush high on her cheeks.

"Lock the door before you change into your fine pink robe and fine white pants!" Kaoru threw over her shoulder as she slammed the door, rocking the entire room. Kenshin blinked owlishly at the tense silence following Kaoru's exit.

"Oro? What did I do?" Kenshin asked the silence around him with a stumped expression upon his fine features. He dragged the thick covers behind him as he accepted Kaoru's huffy advice and crossed the room to the door.

"And my robe's not pink!" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Kaoru stormed down the Akabeko restaurant inn steps, each stomp echoing throughout the building. _Stupid..._ Stomp. _Annoying…_ Stomp. _Arrogant…_ Stomp. _Jackass…_ How dare he even think that she can't hold her own in a fight! _I know that I haven't been working my rear end off since I was five for nothing!_ Kaoru's loud heavy steps then softened sadly as she remembered her encounter with Cobra three nights past.

> _flashback_

_"I have nothing against you. Be grateful I'm a good mood today." Nothing else said, but so much more understood, Cobra exited the Akabeko. _

_"Wait, Cobra, you stop right there! We're not done yet!" Kaoru yelled after him as she rushed to the entrance of the restaurant inn._

_"Go home little girl, don't gnaw what you can't possibly chew." Kaoru flinched as if someone had physically struck her, blinking back the stinging sensation in her eyes. Too taken aback by his words, she paused and watched as the Cobra leapt to the roofs. Surprisingly, no dislike marred her bright sapphire eyes._

_"Home…" she whispered forlornly. Kaoru clasped her hand to her wound and slumped against the sturdy post guarding the Akabeko. The weight of the world was suddenly too much to bear. She stared blankly at the starless night outside._

_"Thank you, 'Cobra'-san," Kaoru finally whispered after a long stretch of silence, " I was getting too carried away in playing my part…" A small smile graced her lips. _

> _end_

Kaoru shook her head violently to rid herself of any nostalgic feelings. _Chin up! Life gives you bokkens, you make pancakes of those who annoy you! Gotta make the best of what you have, and right now, this is what life has dealt you. Go out and kick some butt!_ With that being said in her personal pep talk, Kaoru forced a plastic smile upon her red tinted lips, placed a fake sparkle in her eye and swaggered cheerfully down the rest of the steps.

* * *

End chapter 2

* * *

Some really good ideas just popped out at me, I absolutely couldn't help myself to type it up real quickly and post it! Read and review!!!!

Author Notes:

- Kaoru! Yay! I thought it would be really cute it Kaoru and Kenshin/Shinta met during the earlier stages of their childhood. Is the dream sequence/flashback sequence kinda confusing? Kenshin is experiencing this all through Shinta's view like a virtual reality movie of some sort. As for the things that Shinta don't notice, but Kenshin does: I believe it's possible for you to notice things unconsciously and never realize that you've seen them.

- Kaoru can also be a boy's name [for non-knowers], kinda like Frances or Jamie.

- What did you think about Kaoru's makeup? Hahahah!

- Kaoru seems kinda suspicious though…Oooooo!

That's all for now! Now...about that fudge ice-cream bar I've been eyeing for a while....grin


	4. Someone Worth the Chase

Disclaimer:

ShiroiMatsu: Today, my dear friend Bob is going to do the disclaimer!

Bob: Hi guys, I'm doing the disclaimer today!

Shiroi: Yup, he is! ……

Shiroi: By the way, why is your name Bob? Not something cool like Mikara or Giyana or even Hikaru!

Bob: Because I'm a guy and all those "cool" names you just listed are meant only for girls to bear…

Shiroi: nod True…Anyways, on with da stooooooorrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! (thrusts fist into air)

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

Kaoru shook her head violently to rid herself of any nostalgic feelings. _Chin up! Life gives you bokkens, you make annoying-guy pancakes! Gotta make the best of what you have, and right now, this is what life has dealt you. Go out and kick some butt!_ With that being said in her personal pep talk, Kaoru forced a plastic smile upon her red tinted lips, placed a fake sparkle in her eye and swaggered cheerfully down the rest of the steps.

* * *

Chapter 3: 

_Someone Worth the Chase; The Girl With the Steel Gray Eyes_

Kenshin strolled along the peaceful streets, the midday sun warming his back. The sounds of a busy market street flowed and dancing around his senses, until it all become one rhythmic pulse that lured drowsiness to his relaxed mind. His eyelids drooped, a lazy smile on his face like that of a sunbathing cat. The suffocating crowd around that moved at a pace even pathetic for a turtle didn't seem to bother him at all. Kenshin loved his night shifts; they allowed him the freedom of day to do whatever he wished. It had been several days after he had fully healed and returned to his job. Koba Jin's daughter was away traveling. Cobra had yet to be seen the last few days either. Life was good. Did he mention that he loved his night shifts?

THUD!

"ORO!" the redhead yelped as he was knocked backwards to land on his rear end. Kenshin winced and stood up. He really had to stop walking around with his eyes closed. He glanced at the person he ran into, a woman who was also gingerly picking herself up from the ground. Kenshin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I apologize profusely, Miss. I did not watch where I was –" Kenshin's violet eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"K-k…k…You…look so different dressed as a lady…" he stuttered.

"That's fine, whatever you say Himura-san," Kaoru returned hurriedly. She pushed Kenshin to one side roughly and continued with her haphazard pace along the street.

"Orooooo…" Kenshin groaned from his perch on a nest of broken wood boards.

* * *

After a sound verbal beating from the owner of what used to be a market stall, Kenshin continued down the street, not quite as cheerful before.

"Stupid Kaoru, can't even watch she was going. What lady is she? Running around in pants or running and ripping her dress when she is even in one…" Kenshin muttered darkly to himself. He even had to pay the damned stall owner for damage that Kaoru caused! There goes two day's wages!

A flash of black crossed the corner of his eye. Kenshin's gaze snapped up, centering upon a black robed man. Cobra! People milled around his dark figure, unlike several nights before, as Kaoru had told it. They remained distant from Cobra, but, sadly, they seemed almost used to his presence.

Kenshin went on his tiptoes, stretching his barely 5 foot frame to its limits as he watching the black dot pick its way through the crowd with amazing speed. Kenshin brushed aside the people blocking his way, attempting to follow. Alas, the 5 foot two redhead didn't harbor the same kind of commanding air that spilt crowds like Cobra did. If anything, he went backwards as ornery shoppers fought back almost violently.

"Oroooo…" Kenshin groaned as a particularly irate female shopper klonked him on the head with what appeared to be a daikon radish [a big white Japanese radish]. He shook away the dizziness with a wistful sigh and took to the roofs. Thank God for roofs. They are the greatest blessing in existence for all those who are height-deficient.

Kenshin stood still, balancing upon the narrow ridge at the peak of the sloping roofs for several seconds. He suddenly leapt in the air, his image hanging midair for a fraction of a moment, before completely disappearing. As he raced along the long stretch of roofs, only quick flashes of red and pink that dotted the dark gray shingles spoke of the red-haired swordsman's existence. Witnesses brushed off the flashes as tricks of light and ignored the whispers of feet on the roofs above their heads.

As he arrived to the edge of the town, Kenshin halted to an abrupt stop, his narrow eyes scanning the landscape before him. Tall majestic buildings had disappeared completely, only nature's structures remaining, hugging a single well-used dirt road. Kenshin leapt down from the roof, his lithe body making nary a sound as it made contact on the hard ground. He turned back, perusing the road he had followed from up on the roofs for several moments, before hiding himself among the high sheltering leaves in the forest bordering the path.

Minutes later, Cobra appeared along the road that lead from the town, his robes swirling around his feet like a pool of black liquid. He seemed to glide, rather than walk, closer and closer to Kenshin's hiding place. Cobra stopped directly under the tree Kenshin occupied, his wide brimmed hat tilting upward. The teenager held his breath and froze, focusing his all to hiding his ki. At the same time, he strained to catch a glimpse of the face beneath the fluttering black veil.

Kenshin gave up as all his attempts failed and Cobra stepped closer and closer to the tree. Just then, an unusually strong breeze picked up, rustling the leaves and whistling through the branches. It caught Cobra's black hair and veil into a frenzied dance, his heavier robes swaying slightly as well. Kenshin thought he glimpsed the icy glint of blue eyes, but that image was lost after the shortest time.

After what seemed an eternity that was condensed into but a few tense moments, Cobra finally whirled away from Kenshin's tree and continued along the dirt path. When Kenshin was sure Cobra was out of the earshot, he let out an enormous sigh, panting in relief and to recirculate fresh air to his suffocating systems. The tension that had laid upon his muscles like a blanket lifted. The unusual breeze died down, back to a gentle nudge of air that could be felt only when one stood absolutely still.

A bead of sweat made its way down the redhead's cheek, tracing his single slashed scar. Kenshin silently thanked whatever celestial force that took pity upon him to send that current to hide him with dancing leaves and branches. After a small prayer to the heavens, he jumped to another tree, and another, and another, until he built up amazing speed vaulting among the branches to follow Cobra down the small dirt path.

Cobra made his way along the path. He could swear on another's life that someone was following him, but it seems that the Heavens wishes that the knowledge as to whom was to be withdrawn from him. Cobra shook his head. His instinct told him his little stalker was no one that posed any danger to Cobra's reputation if his shadow witnessed the task that he set to do today anyways. So Cobra won't look into it and he tossed the issue to the side. He slowly to a halt where the path took on a steeper degree, taking in the peaceful scenery of the small village nestled at the foot of the hill he currently occupied.

"At least today will be more pleasant…" Cobra grumbled to himself as he make his way down the hill. A flash of pink and red brushed the corner of his vision. _Must be our little shadow._ Cobra didn't stop as he turned to a particularly run down hut, almost hidden by the large skeletons of poorly cared for trees, but he allowed a smirk to cross his face. Cobra pushed open the rickety split rail fence; quietly tsking mockingly at the job the fence was made to do. He crossed the dirt yard, overstepping the occasional sickeningly thin chicken pecking feebly at the dirt.

_Knock_. _Knock_.

Cobra politely tapped the door, careful to not dislodge the lockless piece of wood. The living conditions of this family was sad, pitiful, wretched, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, rueful, saddening, miserable, woeful, dolorous, afflicted, and just about every word in the Chinese language [this _is_ ancient China…] whose definition remotely resembled the said words. Cobra almost winced as the door gave way to his third knock.

_KnoccCREEEKLUD_!!!

Cobra stared at the demolished door, then stepped over it with a shrug. He already knocked politely enough to even push the door over. Still nobody answered. Let the women think she's hiding, despite that her fearful ki blared like a fiery torch on a dark evening.

An old piece of rotting wood suddenly made for his head. Cobra deftly leaned his head back the slightest fraction and avoided the attack. He tilted his head to study the skeletal figure in front him that resembled what used to be a beautiful girl as she regained her balance and went for another wild swing. Cobra kicked the sorry piece of wood out of her hands and crashing through the roof, raining down molding hay and splinters on the group.

He would have let her play around longer, but he was far from the mood to waste time. The girl gasped as she fully took in who stood in front of her and fell to her knees, backing away on them as she pushed two emaciated figures behind her in a final attempt to protect them.

"C-Cobra…" she stuttered. Cobra strode forward, looming over the frightened mother and children. His black robes and the shadows from the poorly lit hut only heightened the effect all too much.

"Of course, wench," Cobra sneered, "Who else would I be?" He unexpectedly lunged at her throat, kneeling in front of her with one callused hand around her thin neck. The girl bit back a terrorized scream and fidgeted, the two children behind her whimpering with unwanted fright and glaring at Cobra with defiant gray eyes. He leaned in, his mouth close to her ear.

"Don't be frightened, Shiao Lu [little deer]," Cobra whispered softly.

* * *

Kenshin growled deep within his throat as he watched through the hole in the hay-thatched roof. That bastard Cobra had no honor, going after defenseless girls.

"Of course, wench," Cobra sneered below, "Who else would I be?" His young voice sounded far from boyish at the moment. Kenshin watched with disgusted horror as the black figure suddenly made for the girl's thin neck, leaning down to whisper something into her ear. The girl recoiled from him, staring at him in shock. Then she burst into tears, burying her face in her trembling hands.

The two little boys behind the girl glared at the black clad serpent. Without a warning, they jumped on Cobra like ferocious lion cubs defending their food, their little fists beating in vain against his back as they attempted to protect their weeping mother. Cobra merely trapped all four slender wrists firmly in one hand, pushing them to one side. The two loyal little kids wriggled in a way that only kids knew how, almost worming out of Cobra's grasp. Had they the nutrition and the strength, they would have.

Cobra gave them not another glance and lowered his head, continuing to whisper to the girl, his entire body the screaming picture of arrogance. Kenshin watched with frozen horror, though what he really wanted to do was to jump down right there to hack Cobra into bloody pieces to be left there to rot. His heart went to the brave little twins, a small part of him relieved that Cobra hadn't hurt them, yet.

The girl scooted away from him, her sobs ringing in Kenshin's ears. She shook her head continuously, still backing away from Cobra.

"I don't believe you, I don't believe you, I don't believe you…" she kept crying. Cobra gripped her thin shoulders angrily, shaking her. Kenshin stared in disbelief.

"You will!" Cobra commanded the weeping girl. "I killed him…" His voice faded after a few words, but Kenshin had heard enough to make the connection. The drunkard. The brutal murder a week back…all for a pretty girl! Cobra continued whispering to the hysterical girl. She stared at him, still shaking her head. He growled something to her. Finally, she slowly nodded, her dark head bowed. Kenshin glared hatefully at the black-clad fighter. He drew his sword, growling in anger. By some way, Cobra was blackmailing the poor girl to agree to his plan..

The girl shakily got to her feet, rushing around the dilapidated shack, calming her the crying twins, and gathering what few belongings that she considered to be precious to her. She tied it all quickly into a small threadbare square of fabric, before extending it out to Cobra timidly. Cobra snatched it rudely, and spun around, gripping the fragile girl's upper arm with the same arm he held her bundle and readjusting his grip on the boys' slight wrists. He then strode out without another word, dragging the frail girl and her children after him. His rough treatment of the fragile girl and her twins was enough.

With a flurry of robes, Kenshin vaulted from his tree, flipping through the air to land in front of Cobra's path out the courtyard.

"Cobra! You shall not leave!" Kenshin roared, his amber eyes glowing with rage. His demonic eyes traveled to the girl, trailing along her unnaturally thin limbs. They widened at the sight of the discoloring bruises that decorated the majority of her chalk white skin. The little twin boys trapped in Cobra's other arm were in no better shape.

"Heh," Cobra made a sound that resembled a strange mix between a chuckle and a snort of annoyance. Kenshin's amber orbs snapped back to the dark serpent, his glare ten times more deadly than before. Cobra backed away from Kenshin, allowing the gaunt mother and children to come in front of him.

"Wha…" Kenshin spluttered. Cobra leapt into the air, after gathering the girl and boys into his strong arms. He kicked out, and ran airborne to the hills towards town with amazing speed. Kenshin stared after them, recovering almost instantly with a shake of his fiery head, and took bait for the chase in the air. The blank dead look he witnessed in the girl's steel gray eyes disturbed him to no end.

The two warriors, one fire, another ice, swirled in a deadly chase, kicking off at random places to further their speed. Cobra moved fast, considering his load of three precious lives. Kenshin's narrow amber eyes glowed as he followed not far behind. He landed and jumped high into the air from a particular branch of a tree beside the dirt path he had come along, flipping through the air until he was neck to neck with his rival.

Kenshin drew his sword, the blade singing for blood. He swung it at the dark robed figure, with great precision as to not hurt the girl and her children. Cobra turned quickly in midair, putting the thin girl in his arm directly in the path of the sword. Kenshin jerked back as if he were slapped, narrowly missing her. As he flipped away, he faked losing control of his sword, finally bringing it back in an arch that ended plunging deep into Cobra's left calf. He smirked at the satisfying hiss of pain from Cobra and withdrew his blade with a hard twist of his wrist that was guaranteed to tear more flesh.

Cobra turned facing Kenshin, still flying through the air with the support of his powerful ki. Every now and then, he dipped to lower level to push off a random branch or tree trunk with his right uninjured leg. Throughout the entire time, Kenshin could feel the icy blue orbs hold his own amber ones. He couldn't look away. A small part of him that loved to digress from the current worries at hand wondered how the hell Cobra managed to keep following the road, never slamming into any trees or obstacles along the dirt path that they traveled back to town.

Kenshin jerked from his half occupied state to barely evade an old rotten…shoe? He wondered no more at the sight of the girl's bare foot and growled at almost being conked on the head with a shoe. Kenshin glanced at his opponent. Cobra had turned around, as there were more obstacles to avoid now that the chase had somehow lead into town. The girl faced Kenshin over Cobra's black shoulder, her gray eyes blank as she tilted her head curiously in an almost childlike way, her locks of brown hair blowing in the wind.

They raced along the streets, all the citizens cheering Kenshin on as they scrambled to get out of Cobra's way. Unseen by anyone save the two boys Cobra held that looked up to his face in fearful awe, an uncharacteristic grin peeked out from under the fluttering black veil. That grin quickly disappeared to a grimace of pain. Dark blood had soaked through the entire backside of his lower leg, light drops of deep crimson speckling surfaces that Cobra vaulted past. Kenshin was right at the Cobra's heels; the black one's wound allowing for him to catch up with ease.

Cobra said nothing at the change in situation, flinging through the maze of pathways just as smoothly as ever. The whitewashed walls of different structures whizzed past his vision just as quickly as on any other day. But he was now lower to the ground, more running than flying through the air, in constant need of solid leverage for his forward momentum. Kenshin kicked through the air high above, his sword raised ready.

"Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu, Ryu Tsui Sen!" he yelled as he descended down upon his target, knowing that the Cobra was much to close to the ground to turn and endanger his hostages lest he wishes to crash and crumble on the hard cobblestoned street.

"Wonderful," was all Cobra gritted out as he sensed Kenshin's airborne attack racing at his back. The girl with the steel gray eyes only stared at Kenshin, her eyes masked of any emotion.

Abruptly, Cobra veered sharply into a small alley in a way that Kenshin thought no one could possibly complete at his pace. Startled, Kenshin pulled out of his attack. He flipped backwards to avoid crashing into a building, angrily berating himself for not anticipating something like the stunt that Cobra just pulled. He just couldn't seem to be able to read the damned serpent's emotions to predict his moves! The Cobra was not just an amazing and unpredictable swordsman, but he also a clever serpent that wasn't afraid to use whatever means necessary to gain the upper hand in a battle.

Kenshin rapidly turned the corner where Cobra had evaded his attack, searching for the sneaky serpent's ki. He landed on the ground with a fierce snarl when he found nothing. The Cobra had disappeared like a shadow. Now there were only the subtle physical traces of Cobra's flight left for Kenshin to follow. The redhead muttered darkly to himself as he trailed the occasional shift of dirt and splatter of fresh blood down the deserted alleyway, highly irked by the moment's hesitation that lost him his prey.

* * *

End chapter 3

* * *

Author Notes:

- Can you imagine a thin chicken with its ribs all sticking out and stuff….shudder. Some types are meant to be plump. That goes for people too. Not that I'm comparing people with chickens…

- Shiao Lu: which means 'little deer'. As I delve deeper into the Shiao Lu mini-storyline, I'll explain more about her name.

- I need a name for the town. Any suggestions? And please, no Kyotos or Tokyos (one of my muses suggested that…she's being fired --). This is a Chinese town.

P.S; I forgot to mention for that last chapter: When Kaoru had Kenshin's plaque with the information to his job and such, it would have been a small vertical rectangle of wood, carved. Government officials back then would have had something like that, so why not the bodyguard of a government official?

* * *

You're probably thinking: "Where's the romance? Where's the fluff? Why the heck is Cobra in there so much?!" It's gonna work out. I may be a very redundant person, but I am trying my best to get my point across. overly arrogant grin as Shiroi punches to the air


	5. Die Hentai!

Disclaimer:

ShiroiMatsu: Hey…suspicious glare No wonder the lawyers were particularly vicious these past couple days…BOB NEVER SAID THAT I DIDN'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!!!

Bob: Heh…sorry?

Shiroi (I'm gonna refer to myself as that from now on since it's too much of a pain to type the whole name….): Hi Bob, how are you today? with enough frosting to kill my sweet-tooth sister

Bob: Heheheh…EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shiroi: lifts hand with really sharp claws Well, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin...

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

Kenshin rapidly turned the corner where Cobra had evaded his attack, searching for the sneaky serpent's ki. He landed on the ground with a fierce snarl when he found nothing. The Cobra had disappeared like a shadow. Now there were only the subtle physical traces of Cobra's flight left for Kenshin to follow. The redhead muttered darkly to himself as he trailed the occasional shift of dirt and splatter of fresh blood down the deserted alleyway, highly irked by the moment's hesitation that lost him his prey.

* * *

Chapter 4

_Die Hentai! ; The Battle Cry of an Angry Female_

"Megumi-san!" a boyish voice laced with pain called.

"I've got her!"

Megumi looked from her daily medical notes just in time to seen a black clad figure knock open the worn doors of her office to limp in carrying a pitifully thin girl and a pair of stick limbed twins. Gruesome red footprints blossomed on the dirt ground every time the black clad individual touched the ground with his left foot.

"Tako [octopus in Japanese…hehe!]! Your leg!" the black haired beauty exclaimed in concern as she noticed the way he favored his right leg so heavily and the red prints on the ground.

"It's Cobra! And I'm fine" Cobra snapped back. "Who you need to look at is Shiao Lu-san here. I think she has some bad internal bleeding, as well as her twins." Megumi looked concernedly at the girl and boys in Cobra's arms. As she approached them, the girl shrank deeper into Cobra's embrace, her face masked blankly as the two boys unleashed upon the doctor sharp blades with their defiant silver eyes.

"It's okay, she's a doctor friend. Takani Megumi here can heal your wounds," Cobra told them gently. They nodded timidly and allowed Megumi to approach and get a full idea of their injuries. Cobra pulled over a nearby cot and sat the trio on it. He then limped to a row of cabinets in a corner of Megumi's cluttered office, throwing them open to pull out fresh bandages and a small red-topped clay bottle of medicine. His dark haired friend glanced at him, before remarking dryly.

"That's the strongest antibiotic I have, and not exactly an immediate painkiller either." Cobra plopped into nearby chair heavily; glad to be off his wounded leg. He set the bandages and antibiotic on a small table to the side, before applying two rapid nerve taps on his upper thigh to still the blood flow.

"I know," he said, accenting his words oddly due to the shoots of pains that ran through his left leg as he began to peel off his left boot.

"Is Misao cleaning up the trail I left in the front yard? I asked her to do me that favor as I ran in." Cobra leaned over to fling the bloody cloth boot to the side and roll up his pant leg to his knee, hardly flinching at the ghastly sight of his blood covered leg. The crimson liquid almost seemed to glow in contrast against his pale white skin.

"She is, little Tako," Megumi replied with a quick glance out the window. Cobra ignored her nickname for him, nodding instead, at the former part of the reply. Having finished examining the second twin, she stood up and disappeared through the doors that Cobra had thrown open minutes ago.

"You know that Himura kid I told you about. He's a quick learner, That one…he almost got a vital point several times during the time he tried to come after me today…" Cobra trailed off, concentrating upon applying the antibiotic to his calf injury. He stiffened at the sting of the medicine, and then relaxed as the sting gradually reduced to something more bearable. When Megumi returned with a clean cloth and a basin of clear water, he bit off a tight pained 'thank you'. Sure that the wound was as clean as it can get, Cobra wiped off the excess blood that clung to his leg with the dampened cloth.

"Oh poor Tako-san. You must be going senile with old age," Megumi mockingly sighed sadly. Those in the room could have sworn they saw fox ears pop up on her head. Meanwhile, she removed several relatively new cotton robes from a tall wardrobe tucked close to her desk.

"Old age huh? You do know that you're two years older than me," Cobra retorted, highly piqued by Megumi's jesting barbs. He jerkily wrapped the bandages around his cleaned leg, tying it with a harder twist of his hand than he meant too. Cobra muffled the small yelp of pain that he elicited from himself.

"You'll never know with people these days. Some manage to achieve senility well before their time…" The sophisticated doctor handed the robes to the mother and her children as she glanced meaningfully at Cobra.

"You can change in there. And there's a basin of water and a cloth to clean yourselves up," Megumi told them kindly, gesturing to a small room behind her desk with a wave of her hand. A hint of pain and sadness flashed through her fine features as she watched the mother and children weakly totter the distance a properly fed individual would have crossed with a few steps. Cobra, seeing the grief pass his beautiful friend's face, sighed and decided to drop the argument.

"Only you can get away with these kind of insults, Megumi," he said with a slight lift in his voice of past memories, "Only you." Cobra stood up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They stood for several moments in an understanding silence that could have only been born from a true friendship.

"What are you doing with that thing still covering your face, baka chibi-Tako!" Megumi fussed after few moments, having composed herself fully to continue with daily life. "You should be resting, not standing there like the fool of an octopus that you are." Cobra let a genuine chuckle bubble from his lips and threw up his hands in defeat. Megumi was in full doctor mode. Nothing can stop her now.

"I'll sit! I'll sit!" he exclaimed as Megumi retrieved another set of robes from her wardrobe, light blue with navy blue edging, and shoved them into Cobra's arms.

"Change after they're done," she commanded briskly. The door connected to the office clicked open and the trio filed out quietly.

"We're finished," the girl that Cobra had called Shiao Lu told them quietly. "We really appreciate what you have done for us, for taking us three away from _him_. How can we ev-" Misao's angry explosion from outside cut her off.

"WHAT!!! YOU STUPID LITTLE FIREHEAD PUNK!!! WHY THE HELL WOULD WE HARBOR COBRA?!?! THAT SCUM ONLY MEANS MORE TEARS AND TOMBSTONES DOTTING THIS LAND!!!"

"It's that Himura kid," Cobra told Megumi quietly as he guided Shiao Lu and her twins back into the room they just exited from. Misao continued screaming obscenities at Kenshin at the front door. Megumi just nodded as they filed into the room and closed the door behind them. Alone in the office, Megumi quickly used the wet cloth Cobra used to clean his wounds to dust away his red footprints from the ground, piling the surrounding dirt on the faint red spots to hide them from the glancing eye.

"HEY! YOU COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET! THIS IS THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF DOCTOR TAKANO NAOKO AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TRESPASS! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?!" Misao roared, conveying to the doctor inside the clinic that Kenshin was approaching. Unsure with what to do with the basin full of red water from when Cobra cleaned off the blood, Megumi tucked it under her desk, resuming to writing her medical notes just as a red haired boy burst in. _People seem to be doing that a lot_, Megumi thought to herself with a small mental chuckle.

"Good evening, Miss. Are you Takano-san?" Kenshin asked politely, despite the flecks of amber still present in his eyes. _So this is the Himura kid…he looks fun…_ Megumi thought smugly.

"Yes I am," she said with a small smile, standing up to approach the redhead.

"I am Himura Kenshin," Kenshin introduced himself, bowing as the dark haired beauty before him did as well.

"Nice to meet you, Ken-san. Please just call me Naoko," Megumi gushed as she latched onto Kenshin's arm.

"Oro?" Kenshin squeaked as she nuzzled his arm with her cheek.

"You can all the way here just to visit me, oh, I'm so happy! You looked so handsome the way you burst through that door!" Megumi told the flustered Kenshin. He gently pried her off.

"I'm sorry, Naoko-san," he told her, hoping that Megumi would tell him about memories lost. "But I can't recall knowing you…do you know me?" Megumi smirked at the redhead's confusion, wrapping her arms fully around Kenshin's slender waist.

"Mmmmm, why would you say that? I've never met you in my life," she commented distantly, her actions completely contradicting her words. Kenshin gently pushed her off again.

"Naoko-san, if you would excuse me. I have reason to believe that you are hiding Cobra," Kenshin accused, watching for any sign on Megumi's face. She merely laughed behind one delicate hand, shaking her head at how silly Kenshin's statement was.

"Ohohohohohoho! Ken-san, You bring laughter to my day just like you bring light to my life. Why in the world would I hide Cobra here? Like dear little Misao said; that scum only means more tears and tombstones dotting this land," Megumi laughed again. Her sharp tongue couldn't help adding in:

"You must be deaf to not hear little Misao-chan. I even heard her from in here." As soon as the last sentence escaped out of her mouth, Megumi realized it was the wrong thing to say. She continued smiling like nothing was wrong. Only anyone who knew Megumi for a long time would have been able to detect the strained edges of her mask, threatening to fall apart at the tension of the situation because of her slip up. Kenshin searched the room with his amber eyes.

"Where are you hiding them?" he growled out as he stepped around Megumi to reach for the closed door behind her desk.

"Don't you go in there! One of my patients is in there!" Megumi cried as she stepped in front of Kenshin, her arms spread open, all traces of amorous behavior gone from her eyes. Only the fire possessed by a mother protecting her little ones burned in her dark cinnamon eyes.

"Why? Because that patient is Cobra?" Kenshin spat out the serpent's name as if it were something highly distasteful. He made to push Megumi to the side. As Megumi pushed back, she glimpsed a dark head run past her open office door. Followed a flash of blue and a light wave of a small hand.

_Kaoru! That's right! There's a window in this room that we can get rid of any evidence of Cobra having been here with Shiao Lu and her twins. Misao knows and will be waiting to catch them under the window…_ Megumi stopped pushing, flicking her curtain of silky black hair over one shoulder with a small disdainful _hmph_ as she mentally sighed in relief. Kenshin gripped the handle and turned it.

"Well, if you wish to walk on a **changing** girl, be my guest. The Ta-Tanuki is changing in there."

The door opened before Kenshin fully processed what Megumi had said.

"…"

Two pairs of eyes, one sapphire blue, and another a mix of amber and indigo, blinked several times.

"…"

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII [PERVERT]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"ORO!!!" Kenshin yelped as he slammed the door shut. His face burned a shade of red that even put his flaming hair to shame. Hurried rustles of clothing could be heard inside the room, then the door that Kenshin just slammed close jerked open. Kaoru stormed out, the air around her crackling, her murderous blue eyes glowing with full intent to rip poor Kenshin apart limb by limb.

"Himura Kenshin…" she growled. Out of nowhere, Kaoru produced a bokken. The innocent wooden sword looked very deadly at the moment to Kenshin. She advanced upon the dumbstruck redhead.

But the will to live burns very strongly within our fire-haired swordsman. So he did the one thing that has yet to fail all men who has walked in on a dressing female; he fled.

With the speed of an enraged bull, and with the force of an intoxicated hippopotamus…Kenshin ran as fast as his little legs could possibly carry him.

"KENSHIN NO BAKA [KENSHIN YOU IDIOT]!!! GET BACK HERE!!!!!!! Kaoru bellowed as she took off after Kenshin. As she passed Megumi, Kaoru winked at her and smirked as she saluted to the beautiful doctor. Megumi chuckled as Kaoru raced out of the room with amazing speed, considering the circumstances.

"Well that takes care of a couple things…" Megumi said with a small, relieved sigh. She calmly bent to take the bowl of blood water from under her desk and exited the clinic, watching Kaoru extract revenge out in the courtyard with a raised eyebrow as she poured away the unwanted liquid. Thwaks rang out through the air each time Kaoru got within bokken range of Kenshin.

"OROrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrO!!!"

* * *

"Took you a while," Misao chirped when Kaoru entered Megumi's office. "And Megumi's in the kitchen," she added at her blue-eyed friend's glance to the doctor's empty desk. Kaoru wiped away sweat from her brow and sighed as she plopped into a chair near the supply cabinets. She didn't say anything about the fact that Misao was crouched on the floor, engaged in vicious cricket fight with the twins [1]. Shiao Lu watched with a small content smile nearby, her gray eyes shining with love for her boys.

"He's a complete idiot at times," Kaoru finally said after a few moments. "It took him the past half hour just to decide to stop running in circles like a decapitated chicken and get away from this clinic. Even then, if was after Soujiro-kun purposely slammed the gate doors."

"But he's a really cute idiot…" Misao trailed off, wriggling her eyebrows as she gave her friend a full force Makimachi Misao grin, sea-green eyes twinkling with calculating mirth. "And you know it!" Kaoru glared at her half-heartedly before purposely changing the subject. However, a light pink blush graced her pale cheeks.

"I do believe we have yet to be introduced yet," she said kindly as she smiled at the identical twins and their nearby mother.

"I'm Kuromori Taka and that's my twin brother Kuromori Kouma. He doesn't like to talk much. We're both five-years-old, soon to be 6. And my Mommy is called Kuromori Chikyu. She's the prettiest woman in the whole world. Who're you all?" said the more daring of the twins, his defiant and proud voice perfectly matching his stubborn little chin. He poked his cricket again, a cute frown on his face when it refused to budge, before adding:

"And I'm not using his last name because…" he trailed off uncertainly, his demeanor almost completely reversing itself. Kaoru smiled sadly, understanding and sympathy shining her blue eyes. She can only imagine the horrendous things this small trio had suffered under the drunk. Their emaciated state, with the fresh and fading bruises that colored their pale skin, told of disturbing stories that should never even exist. To have experienced such hell for the short few years he's lived, she couldn't blame even the bravest boy for fearing.

"He's gone, you don't need to worry, Taka-chan. If it makes you feel better, I bet Cobra is very close right now, listening in even now to make sure you're all safe," Kaoru assured the little boy. Misao snorted at Kaoru's statement, but said nothing.

"I'm using Mommy's name cuz' he's a bad, mean, horrible, violent, sadistic son-of-a-bitch that deserves to be banished to the deepest levels of hell!" Unshed tears glittered in little Taka's eyes as he glared at everyone. Silence hung in the air as Kaoru and Misao gaped at the degree of maturity in the language used by the five year old. The profanity would naturally be picked up with a father like the drunk, but 'sadistic' and 'banished' were not the words used by the average five year old.

"Well…I'm Kamiya Kaoru," Kaoru finally said.

"Makimachi Misao, as introduced before!" Misao introduced herself immediately after her blue-eyed friend. The other twin, Kouma, gave them all a small shy grin as Chikyu bowed her head in a polite nod.

"Though wait a sec, I thought your name was Shiao Lu like Cobra called you…" Misao said confusedly as she looked at Chikyu.

"Chikyu is my real name, while Shiao Lu is the nickname given to me from my maiden family. Everyone there calls me that when addressing me casually, much like an official nickname. I am guessing that Cobra first referred to me as Shiao Lu to gain my trust; as the only persons who know of that name are my close friends and family," the brunette girl explained. Misao nodded.

"It's like how you are the Itachi [weasel]," Megumi clarified regally as she entered her office with a large plate of food balanced easily upon her slender hand. Misao stared at the plate and a dazed look crossed her face.

"Ohagi for lunch…" Misao said dreamily. "And I'm NOT a weasel!!!" she then growled sharply after Megumi's barb registered fully. Chikyu giggled shyly, before motioned for her twins to release the battle-worn crickets from their imprisonment.

"There's plenty for everybody," Megumi declared as she deftly evaded Misao's pounce for the food and set it on her desk. "Chikyu-san, Kouma, and Taka, all three of you must each no more or less than what I give you. Your stomachs are not accustomed to food after such a time of malnutrition and you can kill yourselves through satiation or continued starvation." She held up one hand to Chikyu firmly before the mother could protest.

"I'm a certified doctor. I've dealt with such cases as such before. There is plenty for everyone and this part of your path on recovery. So please do listen to me," Megumi said, her kind firm voice banishing all thoughts of protest to oblivion. Kaoru stood up as Misao plopped enthusiastically back down on the floor, ready for her share of ohagi.

"I already ate lunch and I should be getting back to the Akabeko now, Tae needs all the help she can get during lunch hours," Kaoru explained, grinning at how Misao's hopeful face fell so dramatically when Megumi ignored her to serve Chikyu, Taka, and Kouma first.

"Can you get Cobra from whatever tree he's staking it out in, Tanuki? I need to talk to him about something," Megumi inquired without looking up as she placed ohagis in small rice bowls, a small smirk gracing her full lips from behind her curtain of dark silky hair.

"Megumi…" Kaoru grumbled with a mocking whine as she left. Misao half sighed, half growled and shook her head at the way her friends danced around the bush. Kouma blinked at her curiously.

"AWRIGHT! Hand over some ohagi!!!" Misao suddenly exclaimed with a slight nervous strain to her voice. Kouma just blinked again.

* * *

"Megumi-san," Cobra intoned calmly as he entered her crowded office through the door behind her desk. "Misao, Soujirou-san," he added as he acknowledged them with a slight nod.

"Cobra-chan!" Misao replied brightly and grinned at the darker clad fighter winced.

"Chikyu-san, Kouma-san, and Taka-san have all retired for much needed rest." Soujirou told him with the ubiquitous smile upon his face.

"You do realize that you have absolutely no need for that costume; it's only us, Cobra-san," Misao continued with a slight reprimand.

"Then why do you prefer to call me Cobra?"

"Prying ears are about….oh…so are prying eyes….." Misao trailed off sheepishly. Soujirou smiled at her, a hint of genuine tenderness within the sweet curve of his lips. It went unnoticed by the receiving end of his rare real smile. Cobra and Megumi decided to remain silent.

"Cobra, Soujirou," Megumi finally said, gaining everyone's attention. "Check for said prying eyes and ears." The command was quickly relayed by the answering nods of Cobra and Soujirou.

"Cobra, what happened? It was supposed to be a simple task; get her and her twins, tell them what is going on, and make it look like the Big Bad Cobra was carrying them off to his den to wipe them from existence."

"I accomplished those things."

"Yes, with the price of a skilled swordsman unto the where you can be found, a gaping hole in your leg, possibilities of bleeding to death, as well as the chances you can become a cripple, or risk loosing your life to an infection, or – " Cobra held up a hand, mimicking the gesture Megumi had pulled on Chikyu and her twins.

"Just tell me you're worried and get it out of your system before you go insane," Cobra told her.

"You know you want to…" Misao said in a singsong voice, poking at the old joke at how Cobra and Megumi were so close that when Cobra was in costume they seemed to be an old married couple.

"I am, the things I listed before were just a few of the possibilities that can bring you down, and that's just in the medical area."

"We digress, Megumi-san," Soujirou reminded them. "I am sure Cobra-san will be perfectly fine after a short period of stiffness in the leg. We all know he's seen much worse. Until then, I can cover for him so he doesn't overexert himself." Megumi nodded, her concern slightly abated.

"So Cobra," she immediately continued when turning to Cobra, "What happened?"

"I didn't expect him to be so persistent. I've asked around, not as Cobra, and apparently, Himura's now an amnesiac. Just walked into town one day without a single clue where he is. But I think he still finds something disturbingly familiar about my persona –" At this, a slight frown marred the brows of everyone in the room. " and won't let off. Kaoru has been watching him and it seems that he's slowly regaining memory. At this rate, he'll figure out just exactly who I – we are." The furrows along the group's brows deepened.

"The base of our plan will be ruined. Himura-san's impression of Cobra is already tainted, and if he should have a sudden revelation about what the going ons that Cobra is linked to, our personas in this town will shatter." Soujrou concluded. Misao nodded, a sense of rare regality upon her air, the bright bouncy girl temporarily dispersed.

"We'll have to try and finish up here quickly. Damn it, Cobra, take care of your stupid leg and make haste in healing!"

"I'm making haste; these things take time."

"Make haste faster! Now, boy!"

* * *

Kenshin launched himself away from the tall tree that leaned over the clinic, a frown too upon his face. Finish up what? What plan? Something sounded off, only sparking the interest of Himura Kenshin even more. This entire situation was off.

When Kaoru had chased him around the clinic, Kenshin studied it. He had seen the basin of diluted blood-water the doctor called Takano Naoko had dumped away. He had noticed the recent lingerings of ki and footprints upon the light dust under one of the windows. He had also noticed that Kaoru wasn't fully exerting herself in the chase, perhaps aiming for only to drive him away from the area.

It was obvious; Kaoru, the doctor, the doorkeeper girl, and the boy that worked in the courtyard were helping Cobra. But why? Their auras were surprisingly pure for that of those that aided a murderer…unless, it was only a guise to something much bigger? But if these strange people were for a good cause, why would they kill?

The more he tried to ponder it, the more confusion lanced through Kenshin's mind, until he could hardly make heads and tails of anything. This entire mess was going to take some serious thinking to straighten out. For one thing, he was definitely going to confront Kaoru about this (though definitely after she cooled off…). Somehow, he felt Kaoru was one that could be trusted, despite her less-than-in- line comrades.

* * *

End chapter 4

* * *

[1] – cricket fights: just what it sounds like. People like to put two crickets in this cup thingy and use sticks to poke the crickets to get them to fight…it's actually great fun…but American crickets just aren't very aggressive…sigh.

Author Notes:

- Most houses of middle class families have a tall solid and thick wall surrounding a dirt/stone courtyard, with the main house in the middle of the dirt/stone courtyard. The floor is all dirt, I think. Think mini-fortress in a way, just no cannons…(darn!)

- I've just realized that I'm not probably supposed to use the whole _–san_ (generally respective suffix, could be Miss/Mrs./Mr.) and _–chan_ (for close friends, mostly for girls), _–kun_ (for guy friends), and _–sama_ (extreme adoration and respect) thing, but it's too much fun to so despite that it goes against the whole historical aspect of "A Thousand Shades of Gray", I'm gonna use 'em. (Did that rant make any sense to you at all?…)

- Think how Megumi must bend to nuzzle her cheek to dear short Kenshin's arm!

- Poor Kenshin. Guys; do take a lesson from this chapter and keep it close to your heart (ha!). Never do anything that threatens a (unwilling wink) girl's modesty.

- Just in case you're wondering and you don't have a Japanese dictionary on you (like me!):

o Kuromori – dark forest

o Taka – hawk

o Kouma – colt, pony

o Chikyu - earth

- About the nickname thing, I dunno if that is completely correct. My parents gave me what is literally translated as a "little name (Shiao ming)". It's the nickname my family members use when addressing me casually. Except the closer ones, the Chinese friends of my family don't really know that nickname, as my family then refers to me as my official given name in their presence. But that's just my experience. Like I've said before, the story is NOT historically correct. It's just historically based.

**Shiroi**: Thanks so much to Drowangel, hotguyluver and NekoYokai for reviewing!


	6. The Ceremony of the Golden Bowl

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Yo no owno Rurounio Kenshino. Moi no owne Rurounie Kenshine. Rurouni Kenshin bu shi wo de. Meow meow meow me Rurouni Kenshin meow. Quack quack quack quack quack Rurouni Kenshin. Squeakidy squeak squeaky squeak Rurouni Kenshin. Woof woof arf growl Rurouni Kenshin. Bubble bubble bub Rurouni Kenshin bubble. Pi pikachu Rurouni Kenshin pi pika kachu! Hm, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Cat, Duck, Squirrel, Canine, Fish, Pokemon…did I get the point across yet? [ppl who speak the aforementioned languages, please excuse my lack of lingual ability]

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

The more he tried to ponder it, the more confusion lanced through Kenshin's mind, until he could hardly make heads and tails of anything. This entire mess was going to take some serious thinking to straighten out. For one thing, he was definitely going to confront Kaoru about this (though definitely after she cooled off…). Somehow, he felt Kaoru was one that could be trusted.

* * *

Chapter 5:

_The Ceremony of the Golden Bowl; A Clash of Steely Wills!_

"I heard he's going to stop killing altogether."

"A master martial artist like him?! I don't believe you. I thought we just invited because he was resigning as clan [1] leader."

"He's holding the official ceremony today, idiot. What else can that mean?"

"…one thing for sure, the other fighting arts clans aren't going to be happy about it…"

The murmurings of the gathering crowd in the spacious veranda surprisingly remained a low hum, since they feared to speak their minds in the presence of the representatives of so many other powerful clans. Red lanterns could be seen everywhere, unlit, but still adding a touch of fresh touch of beauty to the already richly furnished outside hallway. Curving green roof shingles supported by sturdy red posts graced the overhead area with little need; it was an absolutely amazing day of clear blue skies and bright golden rays.

One end of the veranda extended into the small lake besides the mansion, forming a small pavilion. In the pavilion stood a slender wooden table holding a pure gold bowl filled with clean water. Every individual was in their best garb, the ceremony deemed by the rarely invited commoners a truly great day. Despite the underlying current of tension, genuine smiles lit the faces of the mixed wealthy and commoner crowd.

Master Genzai smiled kindly upon his granddaughters, his only biological family members left, as they peeked out from behind him at the large group of people.

"There are so many people, Ayame-chan!" Suzume exclaimed as she ducked back behind Master Genzai. Ayame assumed the air of a wise sage, stroking her little chin.

"Of course, Suzume-chan! Jii-chan is going to perform a sili-monnei!" She said wisely, struggling to pronounce 'ceremony' correctly.

"It's ceremony, Ayame-san," Midori, her cousin, corrected kindly as she finally gave into the urge to peek out. Her strict upbringing was allowed to lighten up just for today. Midori's emerald green eyes widened at the full room and she quickly ducked back to a façade of a perfect little lady. Master Genzai chuckled; trust his daughter to teach Midori so well despite the…circumstances.

He scanned the room. Everyone was here now. Master Genzai stepped into front of the crowd, silently gesticulating for his granddaughters to sit towards the side with the rest of his students. His stout figure immediately brought upon silence.

"I welcome you all to my home and to the ceremony I am going to take part in. Today, I shall wash my hands of a bloody sword and resign as clan leader. No more lives are to be taken by these old hands. Enough said, I'm sure most of you came for the food to follow anyways, not to listen some old man talk out his tongue!" Several chuckles greeted that comment. Master Genzai grinned good-naturedly and started for the gold bowl at the other end of the spacious veranda. The crowd parted respectfully for him, showing the long stretch of festive red carpet that lead to the pavilion. He exchanged smiles with every face he came upon.

Master Genzai's decision was a step closer to the peace that so many people yearned for in an era where the knowledge of martial arts meant survival. Under the peaceful surface of the society they lived in, a continuous battle raged on between martial artists to be "Ten Sha Di Yi [Number One Under the Heavens]". No one noticed the dark frowns that lurked the faces of several of the representatives towards the back of the veranda.

Master Genzai rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and reached for the golden bowl. He froze at the sound a frightened squeal resounding in the air.

"OJII-CHAN [GRANDPA]!!!"

His head snapped up and met the terrified eyes of Suzume. His gaze then traveled to the glinting eyes of a clan representative who held a knife to her soft throat. A heavy cloak of silence muted all sounds save the harsh breath of the veranda's occupants. Master Genzai's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Let her go, Houji" he commanded, his kindly air disappearing completely to show exactly why he was head of one of the most powerful clans in China. The representative was hardly fazed. He shot back his ultimatum.

"Halt the ceremony permanently and I'll spare her life," he sneered. Master Genzai glared at him.

"This is something I have to do. I do not want to continue with this life," he explained, hard eyes boring holes into the representative from Shishio's clan.

"Then give us Arts to your sword and healing arts."

Master Genzai glanced at Suzume's pale face worriedly, but he answered without any hesitation.

"The Arts are to be buried with me. I never meant to even allow their existence in this age in the first place. These techniques will not do any good for the world should I allow them to spread."

Houji snarled and shot a look behind him. Suddenly, the participants of a happy occasion found themselves surrounded by red and black-clad archers and fighters with drawn swords.

"Hand over the Arts or we'll kill them all!" he growled. The archers nocked their lethally sharp arrows. The guests calmly huddled close together, with out letting a single sound. Mothers smiled weakly at their children as they tried to shield them from the arrow paths and husbands pushed their wives behind them. A strange tranquility could be discerned upon the white faces that looked to the master martial artist. Master Genzai closed his eyes in disgust and despair.

A sad heavy sigh escaped his lips and Master Genzai unrolled his sleeves slowly, almost regretfully. Houji narrowed his suspicious eyes and opened his mouth to warn his comrades.

He was too late.

Several dozen small lead balls flew out in a deadly ripple, each one skillfully cutting a beeline that missed innocents to end up striking the guilty. The circle of red and black clad figures fell simultaneously. The loud splash their bodies created on the green lake water around the veranda seemed to snap the taut thread of emotion that held everything together. Hysteria broke out.

"GET OUT OF HERE EVERYONE!" Master Genzai roared over the panic. Save for a few martial art masters and his students that decided to help, nobody needed to be told a second time. The mass of bodies pressed to the courtyard where the frontal exit of the mansion was placed, taking no heed to avoid Houji and his hostage. Elbows and knees jostled the representative as he cursed colorfully. Suzume had found a chance to slip away into the crowd.

Master Genzai and the remaining fighters ran airborne over heads as they fought off the reinforcements that arrived. Master Genzai furiously deflected arrows and swords with a sword that seemed to appear from nowhere, rips and tears soon decorating his silk robes, searching the crowds frantically for his granddaughters as well.

"Master Genzai!" Seijirou Hiko exclaimed as he landed near the elder man lightly upon his feet. He thrust the precious burdens he held into the Master's hands.

"Take Ayame and Suzume! Find Midori and leave this place!" Hiko yelled over the screeching clashes of angry metals as he blocked one attacker and spin-kicked another away from the group. He narrowed his eyes dangerously in annoyance and concern when the stout figure next to him remained, protecting his 2 granddaughters and fending off the overwhelmingly numbered malefactors surrounding him with surprising success.

"Baka oyagi [stupid old man]!" Hiko roared as he executed a circular slash that rendered 19 fighters prostrate on the pale courtyard stone. The underlings of the representative were smart; slowly, but surely, they put more and more space between the two masters of the fighting arts. But they weren't smart enough, their actions serving only to enrage Seijirou Hiko, the 13th Master of the Hiten Mitsuruugi Ryu even more. He violently cut his way through the barrier of bodies as though he were chopping down tender saplings to get to Master Genzai, his large white cape whipping about his figure like the aura of a wrathful deity.

"Get going!" Hiko bellowed as he pushed his old friend and his granddaughters from the main site of brawl. Master Genzai stubbornly jumped right back in, defiantly fighting by the 13th Master. Hiko angrily fought his way close to the elder man, blocking several attacks to Ayame and Suzume at the same time.

"I said go! You don't want them to get a hold of the map, do you? We can handle this, don't let yourself worry about something so meaningless as honor and not retreating from a battle! Your guardian responsibilities are more important than a couple injuries. If they get that begoddamned map, we're talking about thousands of lives perishing here!" Hiko hissed into Master Genzai's ear. Master Genzai turned to look at him worriedly, then nodded grimly.

"Thank you, Hiko, my old friend. Thank you."

With that, Master Genzai gathered his two granddaughters within his arms and jumped to the roofs of his mansion verandas. Hiko leaped away from the melee to a nearby tree with numerous sheltering leaves, his eyes sadly following the fading figure of his long time comrade. Sometimes he wished with all his heart that the Hiten Mitsuruugi Style didn't allow the user to predict upcoming events so clearly. Hiko lowered his head in a moment of respect, then jumped into the middle of the violence beneath him with a resounding cry of dedication.

"THIS IS FOR MASTER GENZAI!!!"

* * *

Master Genzai bounded along the long stretches of wavy green roofs, his concerned eyes scanning frantically for any shadow of his third granddaughter. His black-shoed feet were quick and sure as they found perfect footholds for the aging man and his granddaughters, one under each arm.

They remained eerily silent; the only sound within their straining ears was the _tmp tmp_ of Master Genzai's nimble feet. He abruptly slid to a stop along the smooth ridge of the triangular rooftop in front of a deserted garden. Long seconds crawled by as the gray fighter narrowed his eyes in concentration upon his senses. Then he flipped through the air to land neatly in front the startled Houji, who was behind a tall decorative rock column in the garden.

"Let her go," the furious grandfather hissed softly. The representative's grip upon the pale Midori's front collar tightened as he regained his composure, a sly smirk appearing on his narrow face. He ignored Master Genzai's command, pulling Midori further from her grandfather.

"How nice of you to join us, Master Genzai," Houji purred smoothly. "Midori-chan and I were just having a nice discussion about her worth to you."

Master Genzai gently set Ayame and Suzume on their feet as he glared lethally sharp daggers at Houji. He drew his sword with a deft flick of his wrist, pointing the shining tip to the representative's nose.

"I'm not in the mood for tea time conversation. Release Midori and leave this place." His calm voice wavered not once as he gritted it out hatefully. Houji's smirk grew only wider.

"Very well…" he agreed, mockingly pondering the command. Then he roughly pushed Midori over to Master Genzai, who immediately forgot his blade and caught the trembling girl in his arms. She was pale and shaking, but her face was dry, a defiant glint in her overly bright eyes. Master Genzai smiled kindly at her, then embraced her with a great relief until she stopped shaking.

"Midori, I was so wo – " he cut off as he suddenly stiffened. All four in the group raised their heads slowly, eyes widening at the thick circle of fighters that surrounded them. Malicious grins decorated each face, bits of silver dancing upon them from the reflections of their bared swords.

"…but," Houji continued his sentence as he drew his own blade, "You either must escape us or hand over the Arts. I highly recommend surrendering them rather than making us take the map by force."

Master Genzai brought himself to his full height, his flaring ki allowing him to tower over his opponents. He kicked at his sword, flipping it skillfully back into his callused hands.

"Bring it on," he growled, an uncharacteristic smirk on the martial arts veteran's gentle face. The representative returned the smirk, the maliciousness tenfold. Then they all attacked.

Houji surged forth with his reinforcements, confident in their numbers. Master Genzai dashed towards them, holding his three granddaughters within his arms as well as the bared sword pointed at his opponents. His body was laying almost horizontal to the ground as he rushed for a low target upon his enemy. The representative grinned at the move; it put the Master at a horrible disadvantage in being bodily lower than his opponent.

"Ah!" Master Genzai suddenly leaped upward and over the surging wave of black. He dealt swift deadly kicks to the startled fighters towards the back, causing several of them to end up sprawled on the ground out cold.

But this was only a few compared to the countless numbers left. The remaining fighters quickly regrouped and circled Master Genzai as he landed. They all attacked as one without a chance for Master Genzai to draw breath. The heart of the battle had been initiated.

Master Genzai raised his sword, left and right, now almost frantically to block or occasionally slash when the advantage was right. He also held Ayame with his sword arm, his range of the blade limited to his wrist's flexibility. Since Master Genzai now had three, instead of two, little girls to juggle within his arms, he was forced to rely heavily on his legs. The actions of vaulting high into the air and doling out quick clean kicks was horribly taxing, as the Master fighter was one of the sword. Despite being well adept in all fighting styles, Master Genzai soon found his strength waning, panting heavily as his speed slowly leaked away from his tired body. Sweat flooded out from every pore, mixing with the fresh blood that trickled from all his wounds.

As a last resort, the tiring fighter jumped clear of his opponents into the air, throwing Midori high into the air so she landed on his back. The young girl caught on to his plan immediately, latching her arms around his neck loosely as he allowed gravity to pull the four back to the ground. Master Genzai allowed the spiraling momentum of their fall to take them into a deadly spin, his now free sword arm slashing out much like Hiko's had when he reached the gaping black and red clad figures below. Midori's feet followed her grandfather's flashing blade, channeling the excess energy into small but devastating attacks. Houji raised a thin eyebrow at the impromptu attacks, but a sly grin decorated his face.

"Impressive, but not good enough!" he leaped forward, plunging his sword deep into Master Genzai's gut, turning and forcing it further in. The victim only grunted in pain as he shook the predator off, Midori angrily repaying the representative with several stomps upon the face as well. Houji growled with annoyance and retaliated, a deft flick of his wrist creating a gaping wound that traced from Midori's pointed chin to her left ear as he dodged away from the grandfather's angry swing. The young girl screamed in pain.

Master Genzai staggered as he attempted to regain his full footing. He tried to stem the flow of blood from Midori's cheek with shaking hands. All the attackers retreated into a tight circle around the tired four, watching him as a coyote would a cornered mouse that will be his dinner.

Master Genzai lowered his head looking to the ground. He clutched an injury with white-knuckled hands near his chest. The silently sobbing Midori wrapped her small arms tighter around his neck as Ayame and Suzume buried their pale faces into their grandfather's chest. Each and every one was peppered with cuts and injuries.

"Surrender the map, Genzai. Surrender it now and we'll spare you and your granddaughters. You obviously can't win," Houji sneered regally, although the effect was highly reduced due to the red footprints and purplish swelling that made themselves know on his face. Master Genzai inhaled deeply, then exhaled with a heavy and sad sigh. His hand lifted away from his chest wound.

_POOUFF!_

A thick cloud of smoke appeared as Master Genzai suddenly threw something small upon the ground, reducing the entire group of black fighters to fits of chest shaking coughs. Houji blindly ran to where the Master had been, snarling in rage as he failed to find neither hair nor shadow of the four he was so sure he had cornered.

"GENZAI! YOU CAN RUN LIKE A COWARD, BUT WE'LL FIND YOU! THE ARTS WILL BE OURS!" the representative bellowed out to the air. But the ears that Houji's declaration was meant to reach were long out of hearing range.

* * *

"We'll…be safe…here…" Master Genzai whispered distantly as he collapsed from his run on the soft green grass of the clearing in the bamboo forest. Midori quickly grabbed some grass-like plants growing nearby a large gray stone, and applied them to her grandfather's wounds.

"Ojii-chan?" Ayame asked uncertainly as she positioned her grandfather's head on her lap in a more comfortable position. Suzume peered at Master Genzai worriedly as she stroked his arm, crystal tears forming quickly as the shock from all that had happened in the past hours dissolved. Master Genzai smiled weakly at them.

"I'll live, I just need some …rest," he assured them. But if they find us, I won't be able to take another fight like that…

"Midori," Master Genzai after long moments of worried silence.

"Hai," she replied with a formal bow of her head.

"You're the only one who can do this, so listen closely. Run down to the town following that path and find Misao-san. She'll find us help. Look for her in a run-down clinic towards the east side of the town. There'll be a sign that says 'Doctor Takano' on the door," Master Genzai quickly rattled to the attentive emerald-eyed girl. "Got it?"

Midori addressed him with another quick nod, then leapt to her feet and scuffed away down the worn dirt path. Master Genzai looked at Ayame and Suzume with another slightly stronger smile. He studied the clearing that they occupied, noticing the near invisible wooden markers of several graves almost immediately. Somehow, he felt no malicious energy here.

"It's so peaceful here…"

* * *

[1] – Can be loosely translated as a 'school' but I think the better word would be a clan. The kind of clan I'm talking about can include family members but more likely it's students. It can be just one teacher and one student, or can extend to an entire family like unit. There is one master in the fighting style, and perhaps his wife. The students board with the master, doing chores and errands to help support the clan. The master nurtures his students just like his own children, but still focused fully on martial arts.

Author Notes:

- When I say martial artists, I am referring to anyone that can practice any kind of fighting art: sword, fist, and all those other lovely weapons. In the era where my fic takes place, sword users can fight barehanded just as fist fighters can use all sorts of weapons.

- I'm not always 100% accurate in my information with the setting in ancient China so please forgive me for that. Most of my information comes from watching TV and studying how the movie people do things for that era.

- Wah! No Kenshin! But this a big part o the plot….soooooooooooooooo

Whew! Took me awhile to write this stupid chapter.


	7. Hitting Moles

Disclaimer: Erm…not feeling too original today. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. (Wow….that was easier than I thought. Maybe I don't have to be all sneaky and ….okay…shutting up now….)

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

_-a rurouni kenshin fanfic-****_

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

Midori addressed him with another quick nod, then leapt to her feet and scuffed away down the worn dirt path. Master Genzai looked at Ayame and Suzume with another slightly stronger smile. He studied the clearing that they occupied, noticing the near invisible wooden markers of several graves almost immediately. Somehow, he felt no malicious energy here.

"It's so peaceful here…"

* * *

Chapter 6:

_Hitting Moles; Troubles That Pop Up Just Like Daisies_

Kenshin stepped into the Akabeko. Never before, had he been filled with such purpose, been so solely focused upon one goal. All night, the young man had not been able to sleep, so pressing, this purpose. He could feel the waves of direction around him, all leading to that single target.

Kaoru.

He narrowed his eyes, and stepped forth. The room grew quiet. Kaoru turned and watched him curiously, slight apprehension within her orbs.

"Kenshin…" Kenshin's eyes glowed with an eerie blue. There was no need to acknowledge her acknowledgment.

"Why are you here four a.m. in the morning?"

"…oro…?"

* * *

"Come on out to the back and we'll talk. The Akabeko staff's up and about pretty early anyways to prepare for a busy day ahead, so you're of no bother to me!" Kaoru grinned widely as she led Kenshin to the courtyard behind Akabeko. Kenshin sheepishly winced. _I am such an idiot…_

"Himura? What did you want to talk about?" Kaoru's wide blue eyes focused on Kenshin's, every possible emotion easily transparent within them. Kenshin stared hard into her eyes, a grim look crossing his face.

"You were acting yesterday," he accused bluntly. Kaoru, surprisingly, merely lifted an eyebrow.

"What did you expect me to do?" she shot back, now on the defensive upon realizing the topic Kenshin wished to discuss. "Go 'Oh no, a guy saw me undressed! I'm not going to do anything about it since I'm a girl!'?" She mimiced in a high falsetto. Kenshin just glared at her.

"You know what I mean, Kamiya. Why are you helping Cobra?"

"Cobra?! Why would I help him?!" Kaoru exclaimed with disgust. "That horrid man has killed so many people! I've got my Kamiya Kasshin Ryu ideals here thanky you very much!" To further her point, Kaoru had produced her wooden sword seemingly out of nowhere, jabbing it a forcefully at Kenshin. The receiving end of the hard jabs narrowed his eyes until they were but malicious slits.

"Don't lie, Kamiya. Everything was intentionally performed to drive me away from Cobra. Now I want answers." Kenshin was near to drawing his sword, but he kept his right hand firmly clenched at his right side. The small part of his mind still unclouded by anger wondered why he was so easily provoked. Something about her countenance just seemed to tick him off, reminding him of a mosquito that he knew was there but couldn't see.

"Kaoru! We're going to open soon! You know some of our early regulars come by soon!" Tae's light voice rang out behind the Akabeko, filling the spacious backyard that Kenshin and Kaoru occupied.

"Okeday, Tae-san! I'll be right there!" Kaoru yelled back cheerfully. She turned to Kenshin and smiled gaily, bouncy strands of dark hair framing her round face

"I'm sorry, Himura-san. I have to go work now. Maybe we can talk later!" With that, Kaoru whirled around with a falsely joyful swing of her ponytail and turned to go. A firm grip on her wrist prevented her exit.

"Don't go," Kenshin said quietly, regretful of the harsh tone he had taken to earlier. "Please, I would really appreciate if you could help me track down Cobra. Your ki is one of a good person. I don't think your motives are similar to Cobra's, and you can help me." He forced these words from his mouth, being never one for pleading. But no one else he's talked to even seem to be able to gather their wits for a coherent sentence upon the mentioning of Cobra's name, nevertheless to tell him of information that he needed.

Kaoru said nothing, still facing away from Kenshin. She simply leaned away from him, his grip the only thing keeping her from falling forward. Just as the redhead was about to release her wrist, Kaoru finally replied.

"The person that is Cobra was the one that killed my father," she whispered. Kenshin watched as the back of her head dipped down a small fraction.

"I can't possibly defeat him by ways of combat, but I intend to bring him down by other means. Cobra has his own motives, and I have mine, and as do you." Suddenly, her muscles tensed up, anger fueling the energy that had been absent shortly before. She whirled to face him, her face now vividly defiant.

"I fully intend to bring him down and no one can stop me!" she growled, wrenching her wrist from Kenshin's grasp to proudly point down the sky, the other hand at her waist.

"It's noble that you're willing to face Cobra just for his violations of the moral code, but it's personal for me. It's something I have to do by myself," Kaoru continued. "I cannot help you. If you want to wallow further in this mess, however, I can't stop you." Her dark blue eyes pinned him with a challenge. Kenshin nodded lightly, understanding her reasons.

"I understand, Kaoru-san. May the best man succeed." The two sword weilders grinned at each other and informally bowed with a quick dip of their heads to seal the unspoken agreement.

"KAORU!!! YOU DO REALIZE IT'S SATURDAY?!!!!" came Tae's angry voice, echoing with eerie freakiness.

"Eek! I forgot all about that!" Kaoru squeaked. Kenshin blinked at her. "Saturday is always the busiest day of the week!" She grabbed Kenshin's hand and dragged him back into the Akabeko.

"Tae won't be so mad if you volunteered to help!" Kaoru told the redhead with no room for disagreement.

"Oro!"

* * *

"Phew! My calves are so sore now!" Kaoru blew her bangs out of her eyes as she plopped into an empty chair and massaged her worn muscles. Kenshin sat across from her with a little more grace, through the limp red bangs that stuck to his sweaty forehead belied the morning's exertions. He had never realized just what kind of work went into the restaurant.

From about four in the morning, preparations in the kitchens began for the different dishes so upon order they could be served with speed once ordered. The eating level was scoured from top to bottom to clean up yesterday's mess, and then the staff ate a quick breakfast in the kitchen before customers and boarders poured into the area for food. From then on, everyone was keep running in endless circles to service the customers. Finally, after lunch, with the boarders old and new were settled and the townspeople lazing about outside, there was a blessed lull in traffic. No wonder everyone in the Akabeko staff were all in such good shape.

Kaoru set a large cup of cool tea in front of Kenshin as she poured her own. She greedily downed hers in a few gulps and then turned to see Kenshin studying her.

"What?! I'm thirsty!" Kaoru exclaimed. Kenshin stared at her some more before shaking his head and taking a sip of his tea.

"Never mind, it's nothing important," he dismissed. After all, he could hardly tell her the truth. Still, even as he looked away, Kenshin couldn't stop marveling at how Kaoru managed to look cute despite being sweaty and tired, her hair a complete mess and cheeks smudged with soot and dirty.

_It's the eyes_, he finally decided. Her beautiful sapphire eyes glowed with the satisfaction of a good day's work, sparkling from the exhilaration of life she found in every simple little thing that day. Earlier, her exotic blues had even glowed like gems when a small child gave her a weed, wilted from being grasped in chubby hands too long.

"Kenshin, tell me," Kaoru persisted, reaching over the table they sat at to tug annoyingly at a lock of Kenshin's hair. Feeling cornered, Kenshin mentioned the first thing that came to his mind.

"I was just wondering, why did you never go in the kitchen to help cook?" Kaoru's eyebrow twitched, the hand around Kenshin's bangs tightening until he yelped in pain.

"I can't cook to save my own life," she finally gritted out, ignoring the redhead's frantic attempts to pry open her grip on his sensitive roots. Upon finally realizing that she was hurting the small swordsman, Kaoru immediately released him to apologize profusely.

"It's true," Kaoru continued as she let her arms give out to set her chin on the table in front of her. "I even manage to burn the soup that Tsubame learned to make when she was 6. Tea and juo [wine] are about the only things I can make safely."

"Nobody's perfect," Kenshin assured her. "If everyone was as good a cook as Tae-san, then what is the use for restaurants?" Kaoru looked at him for a few moments. Then she burst into a full laughter, her ponytail bouncing gaily as the sound came unrestrained.

"That," she said as her eyes twinkled merrily, "is one that I haven't heard before." Kenshin's pale cheeks colored, as he had a sneaky suspicion that he was the butt of a joke that he didn't get.

"Heard what?" Kenshin grumbled. But he couldn't keep off the small smile that graced his on face. Good humor, after all, was contagious.

--

Tae grinned as she watched her employee and her redheaded friend from behind then check-in counter near the entrance. It was about time that Kaoru befriended a nice boy her age; she was a healthy 17-year-old now, and a beautiful one at that. Kenshin had been with her ever since the very break of dawn, even helping out for the day at the busy restaurant inn. The two had quickly become friends, by the time afternoon had rolled around, Kaoru was joking and laughing with him like any other of her staff friends at the Akabeko.

_Heh heh heh heh heh…._ Tae cackled silently, a strange glint appearing in her browneyes. _This was going to be interesting…_ She quickly wiped her smirk off her face and turned back to her paperwork when she saw Kaoru glance at her direction. When she was sure Kaoru was no longer looking in her direction, Tae focused again on the pair through the corner of her eyes.

_Hm…they're sitting across from each other, so I can't tell if their legs are crossed towards or away…arms are crossed…that's a good thing…Himura-san is leaning towards Kaoru-chan…_

"Excuse me?"

"Wha-?" Tae jumped, knocking stacks of paper askew when she flailed reflexively in surprise. She fumbled and managed to keep them from falling far, breathing a small sigh of relief despite her haphazard position sprawled over the tall counter. A pair of serious silver eyes stared up at her.

"Excuse me, ma'm," the serious little boy began again. "I have a message for Kamiya-san." Tae stared at him. The little boy couldn't have been more than 6, yet he held himself with the countenance of a stately noble well into his years.

"Would you be so kind as to give this to Kamiya-san?" he asked, holding out a letter into front of Tae's face. She blinked, then turned on her hostess smile full force as she took the letter.

"Of course! Shall I tell her who it's from?" The little boy suddenly grinned widely, now looking like a properly innocent 6-year-old with his strange silver eyes hidden by his smile.

"It's from Auntie Naoko! Thank you, Onna-san!" he chirped in a high voice.

"Bye-bye!" the little boy called over his shoulder as he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Tae just stared.

"Tae-san? Are you all right?" Kaoru walked over to Tae's said from her place at the table. She worriedly shook Tae's shoulder. Tae blinked, then shook her head.

"Kaoru-chan, I'm fine! I just have a message for you, delivered by a strange little boy with gray eyes, and he said it was from 'Auntie Naoko'," Tae rattled off, curiosity in her eyes as she studied Kaoru for a clue on just who these people were.

"Auntie Naoko?!" Kaoru squealed as she grabbed the letter from Tae's hand and jumped about with false glee. "It's been such a while since the last time she wrote. I wonder how she's doing!"

"Naoko-chan's my father's baby sister, only eight years older than me," Kaoru offered as an explanation as she ripped open the letter. Tae seemed satisfied with this story, as she clapped her hands happily for Kaoru.

"Kenshin can cover for you for a little while you read your letter! I'm sure you have plenty to catch up on!" Tae grinned as she skipped away and grabbed poor Kenshin by the arm.

"Let's see how you are in the kitchen, Himura-san!" she chirped as she dragged the Oro-ing Kenshin away. Kenshin watched Kaoru unfold a single piece of paper by the doorway as he was led stumbling away by Tae's forceful direction, his "Oro"s hiding his true mood. His long red bangs hid the frown that marred his face.

Kaoru had turned deathly pale.

-**end chapter 6**-

AN:

-Just a nice little chapter that illustrates the beginnings of Kenshin's and Kaoru's relationship.


	8. Hitting Moles

Disclaimer: Erm…not feeling too original today. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. (Wow….that was easier than I thought. Maybe I don't have to be all sneaky and ….okay…shutting up now….)

**Wayward Streams of Blue**

a rurouni kenshin fanfic****

**by ShiroiMatsu**

_Previously…_

Midori addressed him with another quick nod, then leapt to her feet and scuffed away down the worn dirt path. Master Genzai looked at Ayame and Suzume with another slightly stronger smile. He studied the clearing that they occupied, noticing the near invisible wooden markers of several graves almost immediately. Somehow, he felt no malicious energy here.

"It's so peaceful here…"

* * *

Chapter 6:

_Hitting Moles; Troubles That Pop Up Just Like Daisies_

Kenshin stepped into the Akabeko. Never before, had he been filled with such purpose, been so solely focused upon one goal. All night, the young man had not been able to sleep, so pressing, this purpose. He could feel the waves of direction around him, all leading to that single target.

Kaoru.

He narrowed his eyes, and stepped forth. The room grew quiet. Kaoru turned and watched him curiously, slight apprehension within her orbs.

"Kenshin…" Kenshin's eyes glowed with an eerie blue. There was no need to acknowledge her acknowledgment.

"Why are you here four a.m. in the morning?"

"…oro…?"

* * *

"Come on out to the back and we'll talk. The Akabeko staff's up and about pretty early anyways to prepare for a busy day ahead, so you're of no bother to me!" Kaoru grinned widely as she led Kenshin to the courtyard behind Akabeko. Kenshin sheepishly winced. _I am such an idiot…_

"Himura? What did you want to talk about?" Kaoru's wide blue eyes focused on Kenshin's, every possible emotion easily transparent within them. Kenshin stared hard into her eyes, a grim look crossing his face.

"You were acting yesterday," he accused bluntly. Kaoru, surprisingly, merely lifted an eyebrow.

"What did you expect me to do?" she shot back, now on the defensive upon realizing the topic Kenshin wished to discuss. "Go 'Oh no, a guy saw me undressed! I'm not going to do anything about it since I'm a girl!'?" Kenshin just glared at her.

"You know what I mean, Kamiya. Why are you helping Cobra?"

"Cobra?! Why would I help him?!" Kaoru exclaimed with disgust. "That horrid man has killed so many people! I've got my Kamiya Kasshin Ryu ideals here thanky you very much!" To further her point, Kaoru had produced her wooden sword seemingly out of nowhere, jabbing it a forcefully at Kenshin. The receiving end of the hard jabs narrowed his eyes until they were but malicious slits.

"Don't lie, Kamiya. Everything was intentionally performed to drive me away from Cobra. Now I want answers." Kenshin was near to drawing his sword, but he kept his right hand firmly clenched at his right side. The small part of his mind still unclouded by anger wondered why he was so easily provoked. Something about her countenance just seemed to tick him off, reminding him of a mosquito he know is there but can't see.

"Kaoru! We're going to open soon! You know some of our early regulars come by soon!" Tae's light voice rang out behind the Akabeko, filling the spacious backyard that Kenshin and Kaoru occupied.

"Okeday, Tae-san! I'll be right there!" Kaoru yelled back cheerfully. She turned to Kenshin and smiled gaily, bouncy strands of dark hair framing her round face

"I'm sorry, Himura-san. I have to go work now. Maybe we can talk later!" With that, Kaoru whirled around with a falsely joyful swing of her ponytail and turned to go. A firm grip on her wrist prevented her exit.

"Don't go," Kenshin said quietly, regretful of the harsh tone he had taken to earlier. "Please, I would really appreciate if you could help me track down Cobra. Your ki is one of a good person. I don't think your motives are similar to Cobra's, and you can help me." He forced these words from his mouth, being never one for pleading. But no one else he's talked to even seem to be able to gather their wits for a coherent sentence upon the mentioning of Cobra's name, nonetheless to tell him of information that he needed.

Kaoru said nothing, still facing away from Kenshin. She simply leaned away from him, his grip the only thing keeping her from falling forward. Just as the redhead was about to release her wrist, Kaoru finally replied.

"The person that is Cobra was the one that killed my father," she whispered. Kenshin watched as the back of her head dipped down a small fraction. "I can't possibly defeat him by ways of combat, but I intend to bring him down by other means. Cobra has his own motives, and I have mine, and as do you." Suddenly, her muscles tensed up, anger fueling the energy that had been absent shortly before. She whirled to face him, her face now vividly defiant.

"I fully intend to bring him down and no one can stop me!" she growled, wrenching her wrist from Kenshin's grasp to proudly point down the sky, the other hand at her waist.

"It's noble that you're willing to face Cobra just for his violations of the moral code, but it's personal for me. It's something I have to do by myself," Kaoru continued. "I cannot help you. If you want to wallow further in this mess, however, I can't stop you." Her dark blue eyes pinned him with a challenge. Kenshin nodded lightly, understanding her reasons.

"I understand, Kaoru-san. May the best man succeed." The two sword weilders grinned at each other and informally bowed with a quick dip of their heads to seal the unspoken agreement.

"KAORU!!! YOU DO REALIZE IT'S SATURDAY?!!!!" came Tae's angry voice, echoing with eerie freakiness.

"Eek! I forgot all about that!" Kaoru squeaked. Kenshin blinked at her. "Saturday is always the busiest day of the week!" She grabbed Kenshin's hand and dragged him back into the Akabeko.

"Tae won't be so mad if you volunteered to help!" Kaoru told the redhead with no room for disagreement.

"Oro!"

* * *

"Phew! My calves are so sore now!" Kaoru blew her bangs out of her eyes as she plopped into an empty chair and massaged her worn muscles. Kenshin sat across from her with a little more grace, through the limp red bangs that stuck to his sweaty forehead belied the morning's exertions. He had never realized just what kind of work went into the restaurant.

From about four in the morning, preparations in the kitchens began for the different dishes so upon order they could be served with speed once ordered. The eating level was scoured from top to bottom to clean up yesterday's mess, and then the staff ate a quick breakfast in the kitchen before customers and boarders poured into the area for food. From then on, everyone was keep running in endless circles to service the customers. Finally, after lunch, with the boarders old and new were settled and the townspeople lazing about outside, there was a blessed lull in traffic. No wonder everyone in the Akabeko staff were all in such good shape.

Kaoru set a large cup of cool tea in front of Kenshin as she poured her own. She greedily downed hers in a few gulps and then turned to see Kenshin studying her.

"What?! I'm thirsty!" Kaoru exclaimed. Kenshin stared at her some more before shaking his head and taking a sip of his tea.

"Never mind, it's nothing important," he dismissed. After all, he could hardly tell her the truth. Still, even as he looked away, Kenshin couldn't stop marveling at how Kaoru managed to look cute despite being sweaty and tired, her hair a complete mess and cheeks smudged with soot and who else knows what.

_It's the eyes_, he finally decided. Her beautiful sapphire eyes glowed with the satisfaction of a good day's work, sparkling from the exhilaration of life she found in every simple little thing that day. Earlier, her exotic blues had even glowed like gems when a small child gave her a weed, wilted from being grasped in chubby hands too long.

"Kenshin, tell me," Kaoru persisted, reaching over the table they sat at to tug annoying at a lock of Kenshin's hair. Feeling cornered, Kenshin asked about the first thing that came to his mind.

"I was just wondering, why did you never go in the kitchen to help cook?" Kaoru's eyebrow twitched, the hand around Kenshin's bangs tightening until he yelped in pain.

"I can't cook to save my own life," she finally gritted out, ignoring the redhead's frantic attempts to pry open her grip on his sensitive roots. Upon finally realizing that she was hurting the small swordsman, Kaoru immediately released him to apologize profusely.

"It's true," Kaoru continued as she let her arms give out to set her chin on the table in front of her. "I even manage to burn the soup that Tsubame learned to make when she was 6. Tea and juo [wine] are about the only things I can make safely."

"Nobody's perfect," Kenshin assured her. "If everyone was as good a cook as Tae-san, then what is the use for restaurants?" Kaoru looked at him for a few moments. Then she burst into a full laughter, her ponytail bouncing gaily as the sound came unrestrained.

"That," she said as her eyes twinkled merrily, "is one that I haven't heard before." Kenshin's pale cheeks colored, as he had a sneaky suspicion that he was the butt of a joke that he didn't get.

"Heard what?" Kenshin grumbled. But he couldn't keep off the small smile that graced his on face. Good humor, after all, was contagious.

* * *

Tae grinned as she watched her employee and her redheaded friend from behind then check-in counter near the entrance. It was about time that Kaoru befriended a nice boy her age; she was a healthy 17-year-old now, and a beautiful one at that. Kenshin had been with her ever since the very break of dawn, even helping out for the day at the busy restaurant inn. The two had quickly become friends, by the time afternoon had rolled around, Kaoru was joking and laughing with him like any other of her staff friends at the Akabeko.

_Heh heh heh heh heh…._ Tae cackled silently, a strange glint appearing in her eyes. _This was going to be interesting… _She quickly wiped her smirk off her face and turned back to her paperwork when she saw Kaoru glance at her direction. When she was sure Kaoru was no longer looking in her direction, Tae focused again on the pair through the corner of her eyes.

_Hm…they're sitting across from each other, so I can't tell if their legs are crossed towards or away…arms are crossed…that's a good thing…Himura-san is leaning towards Kaoru-chan…_

"Excuse me?"

"Wha-?" Tae jumped, knocking stacks of paper askew when she flailed reflexively in surprise. She fumbled and managed to keep them from falling far, breathing a small sigh of relief despite her haphazard position sprawled over the tall counter. A pair of serious silver eyes stared up at her.

"Excuse me, ma'm," the serious little boy began again. "I have a message for Kamiya-san." Tae stared at him. The little boy couldn't have been more than 6, yet he held himself with the countenance of a stately noble well into his years.

"Would you be so kind as to give this to Kamiya-san?" he asked, holding out a letter into front of Tae's face. She blinked, then turned on her hostess smile full force as she took the letter.

"Of course! Shall I tell her who it's from?" The little boy suddenly grinned widely, now looking like a properly innocent 6-year-old with his strange silver eyes hidden by his smile.

"It's from Auntie Naoko! Thank you, Onna-san!" he chirped in a high voice.

"Bye-bye!" the little boy called over his shoulder as he turned and disappeared into the crowd. Tae just stared.

"Tae-san? Are you all right?" Kaoru walked over to Tae's said from her place at the table. She worriedly shook Tae's shoulder. Tae blinked, then shook her head.

"Kaoru-chan, I'm fine! I just have a message for you, delivered by a strange little boy with gray eyes, and he said it was from 'Auntie Naoko'," Tae rattled off, curiosity in her eyes as she studied Kaoru for a clue on just who these people were.

"Auntie Naoko?!" Kaoru squealed as she grabbed the letter from Tae's hand and jumped about with false glee. "It's been such a while since the last time she wrote. I wonder how she's doing!"

"Naoko-chan's my father's baby sister, only eight years older than me," Kaoru offered as an explanation as she ripped open the letter. Tae seemed satisfied with this story, as she clapped her hands happily for Kaoru.

"Kenshin can cover for you for a little while you read your letter! I'm sure you have plenty to catch up on!" Tae grinned as she skipped away and grabbed poor Kenshin by the arm.

"Let's see how you are in the kitchen, Himura-san!" she chirped as she dragged the Oro-ing Kenshin away. Kenshin watched Kaoru unfold a single piece of paper by the doorway as he was led stumbling away by Tae's forceful direction, his "Oro"s hiding his true mood. His long red bangs hid the frown that marred his face.

Kaoru had turned deathly pale.

**end chapter 6**

AN:

-Just a nice little chapter that illustrates the beginnings of Kenshin's and Kaoru's relationship.


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